The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-11-30
Former President Taft
Wants the President to
Be i'm ClOuser Touch
With the Senate
SENATE is TREATY
MAKING POWER
presidents Trip Abroad Is
not Popular in Congress
or Out of 1t"
Copyright by the Philadelphia Pub
- lie Ledger Company

IN A@NN6NI OVlh PoilyJ
Philadelphia, Nov. 29-Word comes
from Washington that everything
concerning the details of the peace
congress and the Presidents part in
it are shrouded in mystery. 1t ap-
pears clear that the members of the
Senate Committee on Foreign Re-
Acknowledgement or republican,
have not been invited to a White
House conference. This is to be re-
GREETED The mere formal declara-
tion by the President in an address to
Congress at the opening of its session
will not supply the need for a full
consultation between the President
and Representatives of those who are
to share with him the responsibility
of the treaty of peace when it be-
comes binding.
The Senators must be aware that
after the treaty has been signed in
Paris and submitted to the Senate
they will be placed in a position of
disadvantage. The pressure for rati-
fcation will then be so strong that it
will be difficult for Senators to make
objections with which the House will
be patient. 1t will have to be a radi-
cal defect in the treaty upon which
the Senate can base a rejection and
face the country. This executive adj
vantage is not present in the case Of
Thr -
of four years of the greatest war and
the ycarning anxiety for reconstruc-
tiOn and resumption of peace on a
normal basis will embar'ass the Sen
ate in exercising q full and free con-
sideration of the treaty after the con-
gress at Paris agrees upon it. Con-
sciousncss of this will make the Sen
ate impatient at being ignored at the
present juncture.
Aae=shaH H=ztd>afn have arguments at
length as to the proper meaning OF
the words of Article II, Paragraph 2,
of the constitution, as follows -" He
(the President) shall have power by
and with the advice and consent OF
the Senate, to make treaties, provided
two-thirds of the Senate concur"
1t will be pressed that the words
"advice and consent" imply previous
conference by the President with the
Senate before he fully commits HIM
self by directing his commissioners to
sign a treaty. 1t will be pointed out
that originally in the constitutional
Convention the Senate was given sole
power to make treaties and that the
Presidents function in respect tt
them was an eleventh hour addition
The fact that practice has sanctioned
the Presidents making treaties with
out consulting the Senate. or its com
mittee in advance will not halt tht
argument of Senators. Instances O.
such practice will be met by the re
joiner that they were treaties of M
such vital and far reaching import
ance as this.
The Presidents course, if he con
tinucs to ignore the Senate, will b,
within his power as justified by pre-
cedent, but it will be not well advis
ed. He is going abroad. He mus
rely on the courtesy and self-res
tIaint of both houses of Congress t
render his absence as little embalras
sing for himself as possible. TIL
Senate and the House both contain
number of democratic members VIII
were defeated either in the primar
or at the November election and VIII
are now a vanishing view. Party a
legiance to the President is not S
strong with them just now, especial
with those who owe their death
Presidential choloroform. The vote
of only few of such retiring men
bers would put Congressional powe
into the hands of the republicans.
AS the Presidents trip abroad
not popular in Congress, or out of j
ingenious minds would at once devils
such Congressional action as to ca
the President back to Washingto
and to shorten his stay. 1t is bette
that he should take into his confident
and counsel at least the democrat
members of the Foreign Relation
Committee of the Senate, if he doe
not put some of them on the commi
sion. which would be even better. H
should know that, since the war
over, the restraints of political crit
cism and opposition are passing.
the interest of national team work
this epoch making treaty, let US beg
the new era of open diplomacy by fu
and free conference now between tt
two coordinate branches of the go
ernment charged with the treaty NAL
ing.
California farmers are arranging