The Winslow mail., 1919-10-31
PRESIDENTIAL BAITERS BUSY


have evolved a new method of tor
menting the chief executive. The
latest plan it is charged, is to upset
a long established precedent and sub
ject the president to a renewed bait
ing by those senators who have de-
veloped chronic case of antiWilson-
tits in their attempt to defeat peace
treaty and the League of Nations. 1t
is possible that Republican leaders
may be able to block this latesa eX
hibition of little politics, but the dem
ocrats declare their intention Of max
ing it plain to the nation at large
what they interpret the action I,
mean.
Representative ,'Chn Jacob Rogers
Of Massachusetts,, republican, intro
duced joint resolution at the request
of the state department authorizing
the President to call an international
conference in Washington to arrange
for regulations for international COM
munication by telegraph, telephone,
cable, wireless telephone and wireless
telegraph and providing a fund OF
$4,000 for the expenses of the con-
vention, the Importance of which is
obvious.
This was referred to the committee
on foreign affairs and apparently
there were no obstacles to it's prompt
approval by committee and house.
Then the small politics began to ap-
pear, Representative Walter H. New
ton of Minnesota, republican, offered
an amendment so that when the presi-
dent should appoint the United States
commissioners to the conference 1t
would be "by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate" The Demo
cratic members Of the committee i'm
mediately smelled a mouse, cited
cases of similar conferences as pre-
cedents, and even went further to
show that in few instances had any
President even submitted names of
peace commissioners to the Senate,
such action not being required by the
constitution The Democrats outvot-
ed and will carry the battle to the
floor.
This amendment was put in by the
Republican majority solely for the
purpose Of taking slap at the Pres1-
dent" commented Harry D. Flood, Of
Virginia, ranking Democrat of the for
eign affairs committee. There is
nothing in constitution or the laws of
the United States that requires OF
even justifies the provision in a bill
authorizing the President to call an
international conference that the
American delegates must be confirmed
by the senate. The contrary has been
the practice of Congress, and certain
ly no such attempt was ever made un-
der Messrs. Hit, Perkins, Cousins or
Foster, who were Republican chair
men of the House foreign affairs COM
mittee under President Mckinley,
Roosevelt and Taft. Neither was any
such provision put in any such bill
during the administration of President
Wilson.
even in the appointment of COM
missioners to negotiate peace treaties
the vast majority of instances will
show that it was done without refer
ence to the Senate. There have been
cases when the president asked for
confirmation but in 400 such cases the
names of the United States represen-
tatives were not sent tothe Senate.
There were some instances in the ear
ly days of the republic when names
were sent to the senate for confirma-
ton, but there were many named dur
ing the same period without reference.
In the last 100 years there have been
few cases when the senate was asked
to confirm.
$50 it seems to the Democrats OF
the committee that there is no re-
quirement for such an amendment.
The precedents are overwhelmingly
against it, and the only purpose Of its
insertion was political"
-O---