New-York tribune., 1920-02-01
DIR. Butler for
Cabinet Share
InLawnnaking
Participation of Members
in Legislative Action
Favored to Give More Co.
hesion to the Government
Budget System Advocated
Improved Administrative
Machinery Regarded as
Essential to Progress
Budget System Advocated
To the Editor of The Tribune

W w. Coo
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Problems which we cannot
escape lie directly in front of US. We
may, II we are so minded, drift on
tho tide of daily happenings and trust
that these grave problems will solve
themselves. Or we may, if we are
wiser and feel heavier responsibility
face these problems with rosolute de-
termination. The people are better
informed and more keeny interested
IN the details of public and economic
llte than they have been since the
Civil War. The opportunity invites
the people, and the Republican party
which represents them, to enter upon
new and splendid path of progress.
The administrative machinery of the
national government might wisely be
the concern Of the Republican party
platform of 1920. The business of ma
tlonal government has become so huge
ana SO complex that the sharp separa-
ton Of the executive and the legis
lat1ve powers to which we have been
accustomed for 140 years Is now dis
tlnctiy dfsadvantageous. It brings In
its train lack of Conference and Of
continuity In public policy, 1t con-
ceals from the people much that they
should know, and It prevents effectiv.
and quick cooperation between the
Congress and the executive depart-
ments both in times of emergency and
IN the conduct Of the ordinary bust
ness Of government.
Cabinet to Help Make Laws
There Is way to overcome these
IN any way altering the form Of orr
government or breaking down the wise
safeguards which the Constitution
contains. That is, to provide bv law
that the members of the Cabinet sha
DC entitled to occupy seats on the floor
or the Senate and the House of Renre.
sentatives, with the right to partici-
pate IN debate on matters relating to
the business of their several depart
menus, @ s. under such rules as the Senate
and House respectively may prescribe.
Such an" act should provide farther
mat the members of the Cabinet must
attend sessions of the Senate and
house of Repre- sentatives at DESIGNATED
times IN order to give information
asked by resolution or to reply to
questions which may be propounded to
them under the rules of the Senate and
Mouse of Representatives.
had such provision been in force
curing the past generation the nation
happy and misleading controversy.
Another important concern Of tho
republican party is national BUDGET
system, which will greatly assist in
Puttlng the government on a business.
basis and in enabling the people TO fix
responsibility both for extravagance
ana 1or excessive and unfair taxation.
President to Outline Budget
To escape waste, duplication of effort
1ilu G lheHectlveness, and to enable the
p pongress and the country to hold the
PRESIDENT and his administration di
rec;tly and fairly accountable for public
pollcles, alike of omission and com
MISSION, the President should himself
De called upon to present each wear to
the House of Representativ a defnite
ana well-analyzed estimate of thosc
proposed expenditures which the Ad
lnlnlStratlon wishes to support and
make ma Its own 1t should be within
s4u s4u;,i p'"eI Oh congress to reduce or to
Strike out any of the items of this
proposed expenditure, but the Conpress
snolud voluntarily y relinquish or hold
IN apeyance-as it might readily do bv
| JOINT rule-lts constitutional nower
W increase or to add to these items
We cannot indefinitely continue
! wltnout VII disaster industrial turmoil.
;rd,sr+ MnIcn is due to attempts to improve
.nnuustrlai ~ and economic conditions bv
Vic We use OF methods of force. Industrial
war must, IN the public interest on ~
way of international war. and bv s;n,; rio
lar processes. Perhaps a practicahIa
method OF advancing industrial neacs
you'd be to establish, by authorize ~
congress, an Industrial Relations Com
MISSION m before which any industr;a
olnerence az or dispute might be broupht
a. q. me ne instance OF the party thereto or
United States - ~ Inc
The public cannot tolerate a sncce.
sion of strikes with their interr"nt,nr
t1 o1 production, their effort to increa.a
s,,e Sme cost OF living, and their widespread
ssuner1ng and Distress On the othar
nano' the public cannot compel snv
man TO work against his will. Ther..
io1o ;o dlspassionate, impartial inouirv
Az Az INC iacts OF any given industrial
uinerence or dispute and a reliance
,.ttn utTn puollc opinion to deal fairly
wlth the disputants when all tho facts
are known, appear to be nract,cahis abis
way out of the difficulty.
Americans will tolerate no suner.
government to supplant their own Con
ss'iIutlon, whether its seat be in aoma
lorelgn city or in the council chamhor
or some highly organized economic
group, representative either of canita1
or labor. They will insist upon eoinv
forward if, IN cooperation with other civ
li'zed and liberty loving people to pre-
serve ana protect the peace and good
oroer OF the world in full command of
their own policies and unhampered bv
any engagements which public opinion
would not permit the adm mnistration of
the moment to keep.
Society of Nations Favored
Americans have long urged. and be-
yond question would gladly welcome,
true society Of nations and not any
attempted international substitute for
independent and self governing COOP
Grating peoples Given an !nterna
tlonal court of justice, given bodv
10 formulate and keep plastic the rules
OF international law and conduct, and
given a society Of cooperating nations
Dene upon preserving peace and order
throughout the world, on assisting
backward nations to advance as quickly
as may be in the scale of civilization
and on doing even handed justice at
! nome; given all these, the prospect
for the steadily increasing happiness
and prosperity of mankind will be
bright indeed.
In that case we shall have reasserted
the controlling proposition that inter
national relations must be ruled by law
We shall have done everything possible
10 restore international confidence and