Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-19
MEMBER OF THE AssocIATEn
DID Ircn
TUESDAY. NOVEMBER 10, 1sls
THE RECONSTRUCTION MIDDLE.


lnaslnuch as the legislation for re.
construction after the war must be
passed by congress in the end. i
would seem better that congress
should make its own preliminary in
vestiga;ions, instead of waiting for an
investigation and report TO be made
by a commission which the president
desires TO name. The findings OF such
commission would have to be investi-
gated all over again, debated and
probably greatly modified or entirely
rejected.
1t has been the habit of the presi-
dent to name weak men on his COM
missions, Just as the work of the fed
eral trades commission, which might
have been one of the most helpful
branches of the government, has
earned the contempt of the country by
its partisanism and incompetency. 1t
is now charged that the work of that
commission is worse than useless
that it has become n positive menace
to business of all sorts.
Senator John W. Weeks of Massa-
chusetts introduced a bill for a BIZ
partisan commission composed OF an
equal number of democrats and re-
pnblicans from each house of con-
gross This commission was to be
named by congress itself
But that did not suit the president.
He requested Senator Overman of
North Carolina to prepare a substitute
bill in which the right to name the
commission would be vested solely I'M
the president 1t would dispense with
the usual right of confirmation by the
senate.
The result of the election make It'll
extremely improbable that the present.
congress will pass the partisan Over
man bill, though the senate now has
it under consideration There arel
enough democrats in congress opposed |
to the abandonment by congress of itsf
own proper functions to make passage
Of the Overman measure before adj |
journment impossible The Weeks
resolution. which is plainly non-par-
tisan, may be passed in view of the
pressing need Of quick action.
Should the president insist upon the
passage of the oeerman bill or noth-
ing. and refuse TO call congress in ex-
ira session Immediately after March
4. the direful consequences will rest
upon him and upon his party
From the beginning OF the war,-4he
republicans tried to check PARTISAN
ism. Although totally ignored by the
president and from day to day having
bills sent to them from the White
House through the medium of Post
master General Burleson they inject
ed no word Of partisanisln and passed
the presidents measures, even when
his own party refused to do so.
The first partisan speech was made
by Senator Stone Of Missouri, who
charged the republicans with the
crime Of thinking partisanly, even if
they did not talk partisanly.
Then came the presidents appeal
in the name OF winning the war, for
the country TO return the democratsl
TO both houses of congress. The
country spotted the appeal as insin-
cere, as intended to assist the demo-
Gratis to win the presidential election
in 1920, when the presidents son-in-
law hopes to be the democratic can
didate.
The scheme was rejected, rebuked
by tidal wave of indignant ballots.
Now the president wants TO name a
partisan commission TO determine the
reconstruction program after the war.
OF course Colonel House would head
that commission.