The Owosso times., 1920-12-24
CONGRESS TO COME INTO ITS
OWN

Washington, Dec. 23.-"Mr. Hard
ing's speech to the United States Sem
ate on December 9th was an assur-
ance to Congress and to the people
that the election to the Presidency of
one who had served in the National
Legislature was a wise proceeding"
declares the Republican Publicity As
sociation, through its President, Hon.
Jonathan Bourne, Jr. '''The keynote
of the President-designate's short ad-
dress is to be found in his declara-
ton
"'When my responsibilities
begin in the executive capacity |
shall be as mindful Of the SEN
ate's responsibilities as have
been jealous of them as men,
ber, but I mean at the same time
to be just as insistent about the
RESPONSIBILITIES of the executive.
Our governmental good fortune
does not lie in any surrender at
either end of the avenue, but in
2 the coordination and co-opera-
Y ton which becomes the two in a
great and truly representative
popular government ~
''No intimation of a Senate oil
garchy' is to be found in such clear
cut statement, while, on the other
hand, the address breathes the deter
mination to do away with the dictat-
orship under which this country for
eight years has been laboring. i
like the freedom, the association, the
patriotic sense of responsibility which
abides here asserted the speaker. j
: am conscious of the great place which
Congress holds under our Constitu
Stion, and particularly sensibiesto ths
/, obligations of the Senate and he fol
lowed this with the expression of 'th'
wish of colleague for the confidence
and cooperation of the members o:
this body in the four years which be
: gin next March 4th.'
"Something of a similar attitude O
: mind was indicated by the Democrat
ic party when in it's platform Of 1912
ON which the present chief executiv
@ was elcCIcu, IL Wdo uCSAoASN'
"'We believe in the preserva-
ton and maintenance in their
y full strength and integrity Of
the three coordinate branches
of the Federal Government-the
executive, the legislative, and the
judicial--each keeping within its
own bounds and not encroaching
upon the just powers of either
of the others
"But within a very short time al
ter his Inauguration, Mr.. Wilson ha
reduced the Democratic Congress t
such pitiful subservience that it hs
been rightly named rubber STAN
Congress- and whatever his majorit
might say of him in the cloakroom
they jumped at the crack of his lasl
The consequences Of his despotisl
were visited on the nation. Ours b,
came a one-man government. Thel
was little Congressional cooperate
with the executive, but much sulle
assent to his commands, great de
of shifting Of responsibility to n
shoulders, which meant laws mise
ably framed or accepted as worde
by an Administration whose acquain
ance with the nations needs was d
rived from books or lacking alt
gether. Hence the legislative mess
which the country finds itself toda
"Nor did Mr.. Harding neglect u
Opposition: Il am sure that Il
necessity of wise solution will inspi
as to work together, to take commt
counsel, to be tolerant of one anot
or and give the best which is in
of us to attain the ends which becon
our Republic at home and will mai
tain its high place among the natio1
of the earth Admitting that the
could not always be agreement,
hoped to find common ground in Il
spirit of service, or, as Tennyson pu
it: But for some true result
good, all parties work together
"The Observation-Disclosures T
marks were an earnest of better u
derstandings between the two branc
es of government. 1t is safe to pr
dict that Mr.. Harding's administr
ton will go far toward vindicatil
the belief that men trained in q
National Legislature are best equi
ped for the responsibilities OF Chi
Executive"