The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-02-20
LANsiNG's DISMISSAL


1t was generally known when the
president and Secretary Lansing re-
turned from France that there had
arisen between them a divergence OF
views and it seems that that diver
gence grew into disagreement.
There was no misunderstanding the
views of the president and the policies
he decided to have carried out. In,
deed, his conviction was so pronounc
ed that he wore himself sick in body
and soul in his efforts to have them
endorsed by the American people.
A member of the presidents official
family should be true to his chief. Sc
it was Mr.. Lansing's imperative duty
to have been frank with the president
and at once placed his resignation in
his hands.
Had it been in the military branch
of the service and subordinate had
attempted to obstruct and forestall the
plans and policies of his superior offic
ers he would not have been dismissed
with a mere rebuke.
Just after the close of the war be-
tween the states when President An
drew Johnson summarily dismissed
Secretary Stanton, partisan rancor ran
so high that impeachment proceedings
were instituted against him by the re
publicans in congress and he only fail
ed of impeachment by one vote.
1t was the most dramatic trial since
the impeachment of Warren Hastings.
Since that time it has been univer
sally held that the presidents Official
family should be in entire accord with
the executive head and as soon as
there have arisen disagreements or 4
divergence of views an immediate
resignation has been the result
1t will be remembered as soon 80
there was a conflict of views between
the president and Mr.. Bryan the latter
at once handed in his resignation and
retired.
Mr.. Lansing should have done the
same thing. Having failed to do so
was a species of disloyalty.
Had there been nothing deeper
than Mr.. Lansing usurpin3 the fLnc
lions of the president in calling cab
met meetings in the absence of bis
chief and presiding at the same and
bringing to the attention of that body
matters of which the president was
not in accord or the purport of which
he was in ignorance, was sufficient
justification for his removal.
To this latter proposition even the
Times-Union, which is not an ardent
supporter of the president, is in agree
ment.
On this point that paper says:
mo paper in the United States has
more insistently than the Times Union
urged observance of the limits Of au-
thority marked out by the constitution
of the United States as the dividing
lines between the different spheres of
the government So in the general
principles this paper is in thorough ac-
cord with the position of President
Wilson that no official of the govern
ment should exercise powers not con-
ferred on him. We appreciate the
presidents stand on this question
But the Ocala Banner admires the
bold utterance of Colonel Robert w.
Davis, editor of the Gainesville Sun,
wherein he says that the retirement
of Mr.. Lansing is good radiance.
He was undutiful to his chief and
like the barren fig tree that cum
bereth the ground should have been
cut down. He was even worse than
the barren fig tree for he was breed
ing discord in time of crisis in which
the whole wo ID is concerned and
means mich for generations yet un
born.