The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-02-15
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, | 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 few days rest
from heckling the secretary of war, and
realizing that their futile flutterings
were understood and resented by the
great body of patriotic citizens, protest
ed and cried aloud in the name of bust
ness 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-
pended so that as stated in one resolu-
ton
"'Protests may be heard, investigation
made and information presented
"Or, as stated in the other resolu-
ton
Until a thorough investigation shall
be made for the necessity of the pro-
posed action
80 the senate wanted to investigate
and debate, when 1t was manifest that
people were freezing and the channels of
commerce choked
After haggling and debating, and by
it's attitude delaying preparation for
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 faulttinders, 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 discon-
tent and infiaming here and there
passions of self interest, by Great
ing doubts as to the wisdom or
necessity Of the action of the pres
ident--because the order was in
effect his executive lactsn
80 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 a 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.
s'fNagging senate committees had al
,eady succeeded in disclosing to the
,nemy whatever Of weakness or lack
here may be in our war preparations.
rhey compelled the disclosure that
were unable to sail for lack Of
'oal, and now If they should go but q
tep further and compel publication az
Q which Of these transports are intend
d to carry our troops to France, or food
nd comforts to our boys already there,
nd then compel the secretary Of the
ANY or the heads Of the admiralty board
uAbcAOs6 W0Sn buCA tkahbPO1bb WA4A
all, they viii have succeeded in giving
II the information necessary to the
uthless enemy to enable him to make
is submarines most effective.
"But his vote for the senate resolu-
ion above referred to, and the conse-
uent aid in disclosing to the world the
esperate condition and vital needs of
ur transports, are not the only acts of
he senator in relation to this act of
he president now approved by the vast
majority Of patriotic citizens of this
ountry.
"on the 18th day Of January, 1918, the
.nox county fuel administrator, Hon.
ohm w. Green, wired the senator ask
q to be advised principally as TO whett-
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