Norwich bulletin., 1920-03-23
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
(Special to me Bulletin)

Ol lIlc fGdby py QSl1OCIdt1C NOICD shows more plainly than anything else can do that the President has lost his hold on his party. He has suffered three decisive defeats within IS months. First the election of asrepub- lican congress after his notable ap- | peal to the country to elect only democrats in November 1918; second the defeat of the treaty last November and third, it's still more declsive de. feat this week. The only reply Presi- dent Wilson made to those democrats who desired to vote for ratification with the Lodge reservations is said to have been "If they wish to talk re- servations they should go to Mir. Lodge mot come to me" Moreover his only response to Senator Hitchcock's let ter asking advice and instruction re- garding the treaty as it stood ready for a final vote on ratification. was the laconic message written across the page of the Senators letter Not ac- ceptable" and signed merely ". w. Having thus voiced his ultimatum he could not hold his party in the senate together, only small per cent of democrats standing by his command to defeat, but still enough to accomplish the purpose. The concensus of optn- ion here seems to be that the re- sponsibility of rejection is squarely | placed on the shoulders of the Presi- | dent.
 What will be the fate of the Knox resolution declaring war with Ger. | many at an end, is still problematical. | Undoubtedly that too, will not be "ac- ceptable" to the president, but whether 1 he will veto it, or whether in that case 1t can be passed over his veto by | a two thirds vote of senate and house l flor in & joint resolution the house must concur--is still another matter of doubt. The experience the country has had with the prolonged absence l from the country. his six months ill., ness in which he could transact practi- cally no public business and now the difficulty in declaring peace exists is likely to bring about attemots at con
 stitutional amendments which will remedy existing difficulties.
 When the battle in the senate over l the ratification of the treaty ended the scene was beyond description. All day the great marble corridors had been thronged-the galleries filled to their utmost capacity and the floor of | the Senate chamber packed with mem bers of the house and others entitled to floor priveleges. The situation was I tense, William J. Bryan was on hand urging ratification. In the presidents
 
 iels and Postmaster General Burlcson, presumably holding democratic sena- i tors in line to vote for defeat at the ] presidents bidding, for he would not !. yield a jot at the last moment. This , was made very evident by the action
 of Senator Hitchcock the presidents
 spokesman, who refused to have a
 second vote taken immediately after
 the first, which was offered to the democrats by Senator Lodge, who was anxious after claim should be made that those voting did so under coerc-
 ion. We must have time to cool off''
 replied MT. Hitchcock and declined the
 opportunity. The administration men hoped to put through a second vote,
 after taking time to consult the presi- dent, but the majority held fast to , Now or never" on the ground that a q year had been consumed in debate and the treaty having already been twice d voted down, it was not fair to let it : remain in the senate longer to the
 exclusion of pressing national busi-
 ness. So the league of nations died a second tiTne-and now if 1t is to be re- ; vived it must be by it's resubmission by the president-which it is still in Il his power to do None of the New e England Senators would comment or d the result. Every one of them was $ worn to frazzle by the long struggle l. There has been nothing before con l. gress this week except the treaty ir e the senate and the army bill in the n house. Now it starts Out with a clear
 slate, to attend to the many matter.
 requiring attention and which the na -H ton and the states are demanding. s The house consists of 425 members ~ of these 240 are republicans, 192 demo rN fe I-... n independents Randall of Californi, Id and Cars of Minnesota vote with tn n. democrats, while the third, Keller c is Minnesota votes with the republicans se So this gives the latter majority 0 st 47. Thus, change of A from repub st licans ranks to the democratic lis !. would give democrats the control c
 the house next year; that is if the in
 dependents retain their seats and yot I'll as in the past. The election is yet Id long way off. but the primaries ru S. from May till September and bot of managers and individual candidate he are much wider awake than is usus ce at this stage of the game.
 he If pass-p ports are held up and th CT business of the secretary of state prac f. tically at standstill. it is not th to senate which must be held responsib aS lHrough Qeldy on actlng on the nomir 7 ation of Bainbridge Colby to fill tt ne existing vacancy. The president hs ca full power, under the Overman lav
 still in force. to transfer to any oth,
 department the duties of the office
 another other department. The IA
 was framed as a war time emergent or act, and intended to cover all cas- re where embarrassment, delay or faiIu
 to perform the necessary functions
 an office might arise. It is conced, W here that if the president desires pm can by stroke of the pen, transf
 the duties of secretary of state
 another cabinet officer for the tin Al- being. Apparently he has no inter en ton of doing so, but that does n
 trouble the senate, as it feels emer
 enoy work can be performed by ii
 State department while they have t p matter of MT. Colby's appointme ter under consideration The favorat
 action of the senate foreign relatio
 committee on Mr. Colby's non1inati ny is expected to lead to his early CO .ial firmation