Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1918-02-14
Further Interference with Duties
and Powers of President

Just how far the senior senator is
standing by the president may be fur
Their judged by his action in relation to
the recent executive order designed to
conserve the supply and regulate the dis
tribution of fuel coal l refer to the
order recently issued by the National
Fuel Administrator Garfield, approved by
the president and authorized under an
act of congress, designed, as shown by
it's title
ITO provide further for the national
security and defense by encouraging the
production, conserving the supply and
controlling the distribution of food
products and fuel
when notice was given that such an
order would be issued, certain fault find
ers in the senate, after a few days rest
from heckling the secretary of war, and
realizing that their futile f1utterngs were
understood and resented by the great
body of patriotic citizens, protested
and cried aloud in the name of business
that the country would be ruined by this
executive order designed to carry into
effect the true intent and spirit Of the
very law enacted to meet just such
emergent conditions as confronted the
country.
"ThereupOn two resolutions were Of
fered in the senate requesting but in
effect demanding that the order be sus-
ton
"Protests may be heard, investigation
made and information presented
"Or, as stated in the other resolution
Until a thorough investigation shall
be made for the necessity of the pro.
posed action
80 the senate wanted to investigate
and debate, when it was manifest that
people were freezing and the channels OF
commerce choked.
After haggling and debating, and by
it's attitude delaying preparation fol
compliance with the order, the senate
adopted the first resolution. The senior
senator voted for it.
what lawyer ever dreamed that
the execution of an act of congress
could be suspended by a resolution?
Full power to meet the emergency
had been solemnly conferred on the
president. But the faultfinders, with
out conceding that the president
and his advisers, sworn to execute
the law, might have information Of
conditions known to them, but which
it might be unWise to disclose to the
world and to the enemy, insisted on
debating and investigating, thus
sowing broadcast seeds of discomfort
and inflaming here and there pas
sions of self interest, by creating
doubts as to the wisdom or 'neces-
sity' of the action of the president
because the order was in effect
his executive act.
so National Fuel Administrator
Garfield was, according to press dis
patches, hailed before a subcommit-
tee of the senate and there forced to
disclose that the order suspending
the operation of such industrial
plants as were least essential to war
preparation was not only for the
purpose of conserving the supply
and providing coal for domestic con-
sumers as to relieve serious con-
gestion in traffic, but also to secure
coal for transports lying idle in our
Atlantic ports and unable for lack
of coal to carry needed war mate
rails and food and other supplies to
our boys and allies across the sea.
"Nagging senate committees had al
ready succeeded In disclosing to the
enemy whatever Of weakness or lack
there may be In our war preparations
They compelled the disclosure that
transports were unable to sail for lack Of
coal, and now If they should go but a
step further and compel publication as to
which Of those transports are intended
to carry our troops to France, or food
and comforts to our boys already there
and then compel the secretary of the
navy or the heads Of the admiralty board
to disclose when such transports will
sail, they will have succeeded in giving
all the information necessary to the
ruthless enemy to enable him to make his
submarines most elective.
"But his vote for the senate resolu-
ton above referred to, and the conse-
quent aid in disclosing to the world the
desperate condition and vital needs OF
our transports, are not the only acts OF
the senator in relation to this act OF
the president now approved by the vast
majority of patriotic citizens of this
country.
"on the 18th day Of january, 1918, the
Knox county fuel administrator, Hon
John W. Green, wired the senator ask
ing to be advised principally as to wheth-
or factories run by Alphabetically