The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-02-26
: PAGE TWELVE
President and Cabinet.

President and Cabinet.
You say you felt that, in view Of the
fact that you were denied communica-
tion with me, it was wise to confer in
formally together on interdepartmen-
tai matters and matters as to which
action could not be postponed until my
medical advisers permitted me to be
seen and consulted, but have to re-
mind you, Mr.. Secretary, that no ac-
ton could be taken without me by the
cabinet, and therefore there could have
been no disadvantage in awaiting ac-
ton with regard to matters concerning
which action could not have been taken
without me-From President Wilson's
letter to Secretary Lansing.
Is it fact that mo action could be
taken'' by the cabinet without the
PRESIDENT? Action was taken, decisions
were reached at the informal confer
ences'' of the cabinet members in the
absence of Mr.. Wilson. Under former
administrations cabinets have deliber-
ated and decided matters of necessary
business without the attendance of the
president. Until President Wilson
raised the point there has never been
any question of the legality or consti-
tutionality of these procedures. The
cabinet is not constitutional body.
Furthermore, the president says
that "there could have been no disad-
vantage in waiting action with regard
to matters concerning which action
could mot have been taken without
me-" We fear that statement was not
duly considered by it's writer. The
disadvantage" presumably accruing
from the application of this theory Of
the cabinets powerlessness to act with
out the president would have been the
resulting stagnation Of the public bust
ness. In respect to all save minor and
routine affairs the government would
have been out of commission.
Of all men in the United States
President Wilson should have been
most wary of raising that question. It
was known early in October that he
could not attend cabinet meetings. If
congress had then accepted the theory
which Mr.. Wilson now propounds, that
the cabinet could do nothing without
his presence, and consequently that
government business was at stand
still, congress might have felt it to be
it's duty to ascertain whether in respect
to the president the condition described
by article II, section 5, of the constitu
ton as Inability to discharge the
powers and duties of the said office"
actuality existed. Had constitutional
inability been ascertained and declared,
the powers and duties of the presi-
dents office would at once have de-
volved on the vice president. That
eventuality, we are very sure, would
have been much more distasteful to
President Wilson than Secretary Lam
sings temporary and, as it seems to
us and to the people of the country,
absolutely necessary assumption of the
power to bring the cabinet members
together in informal conferences.
AS we have already pointed out,
sharp differences between the presi-
dent and the secretary of state con-
corning the foreign relations of the
United States may have been a suf-
fcient reason for asking the secretary
to rpSipn That was mattar wholly
within the presidents Judgment. But
Mr.. Lansing's conscientious effort to
provide for the continuance of the pub
lie business during the presidents ILL
ness was not sufficient reason for
rebuking him and asking his retire.
ment.-New York Times.