The sun., 1918-11-21
a Proposed Revolut.Sn in Legisis-
tive Procedure.


tive Procedure.
Arranging for the uninterrupted
performance Of his official functions
during his proposed visit to Europe,
President WILSON is represented as
having reached an agreement with
Vice-President MARSHALL, in his Gu
pacity as President of the Senate
ana Representative CHAMP CLARK,
the Speaker of the House, under
which these public servants would
withhold their signatures from bills
passed by the Congress until the
President returns to this country
thereby delaying the presentation to
him Of such measures. and thus per
uniting him to exercise his power OF
veto when he is again established at
the national capital
The Presidents power Of veto is
provided for in paragraph two Of sec
ton seven Of Article I. Of the Con-
stitution, thus:
Every bill which shall have passed
the House of Representatives and the
Senate, shall, before 1t become a law,
be presented to the President Of the
United States: IL he approve he shall
sign 1t, but II not he shall return It,
with his objections to that house in
which It shall have originated, who
shall enter the objections at large on
their journal. and proceed to reconsider
It II any bill shall not be
returned by the President within ten
days Sundays excepted) after 1t shall
have been presented to him, the same
shall be a law. In like manner as IL he
had signed it. unless the Congress by
their adjournment prevent its return,
in which case 1t shall not be a law"
1t is an extraordinary occasion for
which the President, the Vice Presl-
dent and the Speaker are preparing,
and for 1t extraordinary measures are
undoubtedly necessary, but these are
not to be adopted hastily or without
CareIul CONSIDERATION.
If by a gentleman's agreement be-
tween Mr.. WILSON, Mr.. MARSHALL
and Mr.. CLARK the orderly progress
of legislation may be turned upside
down, II necessary by the modifica-
ton Of the rules of the Senate and
House concerning the signing of bills
passed by those bodies, why could not
a gentleman's agreement between the
presiding officers OF the legislative
bodies operate to prevent the sub
mission to the Chief Executive Of any
measure passed by them?
At present the practice in Congress,
on the passage of a bill by the cham
Der In which 1t originates, is to have
it certified by the signature Of the
presiding officer and sent to the other
chamber. If the other chamber
passes 1t, the presiding officer thereof
signs the bill and 1t is sent to the
President. But If the presiding Off
Ger of either house be empowered,
rs is now proposed, to delay the pre-
sentation of n bill to the President by
Withholding his signature from it, re-
sort might easily be had to similar
procedure under other circumstances,
and the power to nullify completed
act Of both houses of Congress might
be lodged in the ce-President or In
, the Speaker.
This might happen, for example, in
the closing hours of q session, when
adjournment would prevent the adop-
tion of rule compelling immediate
signature by the responsible presid-
ing officer.
1t is a risky innovation in leglsla-
tive routine which Is now under dis
cusslOn In Washington. The posi-
bilities of It's abuse are too obvious
TO be ignored. They add new rea-
sons to those which have actuated
the opposition to the Presidents trip
to Europe, a project which from the
beginning has inspired uneasiness
and disqulet.