Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-29
Mr.. HARDING BEGINS
TO ACT AS PRESIDENT
And His Newspaper Notes the Demand
for Constitutional Anne ndnnent
Which viii Gust a RepudIated
Administration as Soon as
Possible After the Election

dent elect Harding is to be consulted by the
leaders Of Congress before they decide on
any legislation which will affect his admin
jStratiOn after March 4. Such consultation
is practicable under the existing Circum-
stances
Mr. Harding is a Republican and both
houses of Congress are controlled by the
Republicans. Tho present Congress was
elected more than two years ago. 1t il to
be succeeded in March by a Congress elected
in November. If it were hostile 20 Mr..
Harding it could tie his hands for many
months after he enters office. However Mr.
Harding is becoming in sense m acting
President two months before he takes office
simply because the surviving Congress is
friendly to him. 1t is as proper for the
leaders to consult Mr.. Harding as it would be
for them to consult any other expert.
Til" second piece Of information is con.
tanned in an editorial article in the Marion
Star Mr.. Harding's newspaper That art-
Gle calls attention TO the reputation Of the
Democratic administration in November. an
administration which. in spite Of its rejec.
tion by the people. will remain in office until
March 1. Then it says that in the regular
course of affairs there would be no session
of the new Congress until next December.
or thirteen months after the people had
voted for n change. The article continues:
Presumably tneTe Will be 4 bpSClal Seb-
sion in March or April. but the absurdity
Of an administration remaining in power
four months after Il has been dsapproved
By the people has given great impetus to
the sentiment In favor Of a constitutional
amendment which will provide for
change Of administration as soon as the
votes be counted and Canvassed. and
for regular session Of Congress follow
ing tn" election and not terminating on
March /.
These comments by Mr. lIardngs news
paper on the anomalies Of the present pro-
ccdurc become especially pertinent when 1t is
recalled that last Thursday Senator Ashurst
introduced joint resolution into the Senate
proposing an amendment to the constitution
providing that the Congress elected in No
vrmber should meet on the first Monday of
January. and that the President should take
office on the third Monday in January sue
crrding his election. The news OF the intro
duCtiOn Of this resolution was printed in the
morning newspapers on Friday. Senator
Harding'S newspaper remarked on the fol-
lowing Monday that the survival of an ad-
uini>tration for four months after it had
been r,Dudiated has given great impetus to
thc sentiment in favor Of n constitutional
amnudn"nt which will provide for a change
OF administration as soon as the votes can
be counted and canvaSsed.
7, ~ rn, tbc-ofnra tn do vinlonco 70 ,he
,,o..fi,iIitic. to assume that Tho President
elect furors change in the constitution
which will permit a new President and a new
Congress to assume office soon as possible
after tn" election.
senator Ashurst's amendment may not be
adopted By the present Congress, II may BE-
possible to frame one moro satisfactory to the
members and 10 the states. But whatever
ire far. there is an undoubtrd need for
horyo Tho sam. or,cndnnrt ues ,ronnyoJ
~ ,.r,r. ogo hut ro,hing co,,,n of J., II ,ho
,.,,, rro.iT,r, ,,s.,y III. i1.,,nr,., y; ro,.nr ~
.I, choryo EMO nos,ibiIitv of hrirri,c :,
,hort horu,nrs loss uncertain .hor I, hag
L,,r T., ~. INST
Tho nractical reason, h,rb led to rho
oririnol urrung,r,rrt havr cea.ed to crist
There were no rui'road, md no tcIevronhs
and no tcnoln,r~ I'm ,ho curIy dnys NJ the
~e,,,,hIi, ,,lrp,,ion ~ fin. oIoction rotr-no
YEA. slow nnJ ,rdfo5s rrorcss Nonv
,,,oks had f., ,.,on.a of,rr tbo vo,n ,yos noIlnd
hoforr .b,. -r,r'r could n. known And
whom rho rotprrs wcr. in ~ would takc
r,cr,hors ~ T,ngresg u,onk. and J., .ou.
crs,. ,r,,,.,l.s - TravnI from, ,hnir homes 70
rho ra,i,r.I roritoi II wa. rccr.aorv to
oII,,. r,,m, ;ntor,aI ~ oI,r,, h,,r.oan .ba
oI,c,f,n and tho ina,cYr,,ior NJ rho Pro.i.
d4rr .ri Pho Assembling Of Conpress
!ir ,,.yoJnvs tLc rns,,l- of tho oIectio,
:. ,n.,,r i,,,r.distslv md n mor,hsr ~
,,,.,rr.. ,nn trnvcI fror, IN. ,rn.t Jis,ont
r.,r, ~ rhr Tnitnd STATE, 70 Wasbington in
,n" Philippines could reach Washington
Y:tNlN siX weeks inter he started.
T'r old Arrangement has survived because
80 on" has thought it worth while to change
IT, l. took years for Congress 10 awake n
'nr necessity II providing for the prcsidrn
r.a' success, ion in the event Of the death u!
~. President uul rhr Vice President. l. .ya.
al,,u' century after the constitution pIn .
;,r,,rrDd Congress t., yu>S a national bank.
rrrtrl lnw before any such law was puyscd
Tlo~, has horn disposition to mudd.e
along in I'll" old way b"raus" We have always
n,ru able to nuddc along.
Tn" rxi~r"ncr Of n r"a, danger under tho
pr,srn' arrangCm"nt doe, not seem a. dis.
TURN any ouo Yet if there should no n
presidential election in which no candidate