Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-30
The irresponsible Senate
New York World
sew York World

sIf then we are to have open, free and
responsible government the Senate MUST
be reformed. and no time is more ausplci-
otls than the present 70 begin with that
branch OF its jurisdiction as 70 which the
people are having such striking object
lesson. Let US take first step IN the
direction of popular and efficient govern
meut and amend the Constitution 50
that treaties shall be ratified by the House
of Representatives.
The author Of that emlnently wise and
practical suggestion is not Democrat
but very able and distinguished Re-
publican, Samuel W. Mccall, who served
for twenty years in Congress and wa.
afterward for three years governor OF
Massachusetts,. =
Writing for the September issue OF the
Atlantic Monthly, Mr.. McCall describes
the Senate as "the glaring soieelsm Of the
time" and considers the method by which
il has dealt with the treaty OF peace as
convincing proof that II the United States
is to have responsible government 1t must
begin with the reform Of the Senate which
is irresponsible.
Mr.. NcCalrs conclusions do not differ
essentially from those of John Hay, who
was Secretary of State in President Nc
Kinlev's cabinet and who said of the
Senate's power to destroy treaties, To
such monstrous shape has the original
mistake OF our Constitution grown IN the
evolution of our politics.
The Senate veto over treaties was con-
ferred upon il at time when all dlplo-
macy was secret and il was regarded as
unwise TO trust the House OF Representa-
tives The first important treaty negotiated
by the United States government was
not officially made public even after 1t
had been ratified by the Senate. The
original reason for requiring the advice and
consent of the Senate to treaties long ago
lost its force There IS nothing whatever
to sustain it at a time when the whole
world is insisting upon open diplomacy
and the nations have formally pledged
themselves TO have no secret treaties.
In Great Britain the treaty-making
power rests in the House of Commons;
France in the Chamber of Deputies.
There is no country except the United
States which permits non-representatlve
body TO determine its foreign relations,
and the Senate is non-representatlve.
The President is elected by the people
every four years and is accountable to
them The House of Representatives Is
elected by the people every two years
aud is accountable TO them. The Senate
can never be held accountable, because
only one-third of its members can be
brought before the court OF public opinion
in any election. Thus the Senate remains
continuously Irresponsible.
Yet this irresponsible body Is permitted
at its own pleasure TO veto any or all OF
the Presidents appointments, and a
minority can prevent the ratification OF
any treaty, no matter how important,
for any reason that appeals TO 1t. No other
civilized country today would tolerate
such an oligarchy, and the time has come,
as Mr.. Mccall counsels, to transfer some
of the swollen powers of the Senate TO
the House of Representatives, which
must receive new mandate from the
people every two years.
Senator Harding, who belongs TO the
prevailing Senate ollgarchy and was
nominated for President byit, Is urging a
still further ACKNOWLEDGMENT of its author
ity and has described all criticism OF the
Senate as "a reflex of the mob mentality,
1t is natural that the Republican candi-
date for President should be faithful to
his political masters, but the reform of
the Senate is not a partisan question.
Ii is an issue with which the American
people will have to deal seriously IT they
expect to make their Government fune-
ton under the new conditions With which
it must struggle. They cannot begin
better than by following Mr.. Mccall s
advice and transferring to the House OF
Representatives the treaty powers
that the Senate has o scandalously abused
for generation.