Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-02

iai t'huoi cfnboulcu III 1nesc lnpn- |
sures has been held to be 80 impor-
tant that IL has been incorporated In |
every democratic constitution OF. Eu-
rope adopted within the last century. |
In Great Britain this procedure was !
adopted voluntarily by Parliament, by |
change of rules. In other European
countries IL has been imposed on the |
representative branch by their writ |
ten constitutions. Congress has the |
power TO force our political leader
ship into the open. II II refuses to
change it's rules to provide for open
forum discussion in matters of finance
and administration. the only recourse
Is constitutional amendment. This
course. II necessary, is favored by
72eo of the 1000 members of the Ma
tional Council of the Economic League
who took part In this referendum.
Under the present system leader
ship in these matters, It is explained,
is vested in the chairman of Congress
sional committees OF which there were
las, year 76 in the House and Senate
together. The defeat OF the recently
enacted budget law. IL IN pointed out,
is that although prepared by an ex-
ecutive bureau. IT affords no opportu-
nifty for the executive to explain or
defend it's proposals publicly before
either branch OF Congress as a whole,
since the budget will be referred by
each branch OF Congress TO standing
/ committees for consideration, and
when appropriation bills and revenue
bills are reported out, they will be, as
In the past. the measures of the COM
: mittecs and not the measures of the
executive. The Good committee. which
prepared the bill passed. in its report
supporting the measure when intro
duced frankly stated that II was not
the intention that the country should
have an executive budget. On this
point the report says: lit will doubt
less be claimed by some that this is
an executive budget. The plan out
lined does provide for an executive
initiation of the budget. but the Presi-
dents responsibility ends when he has
prepared the budget and transmitted
u 10 Congress To that extent, and
that extent alone, does the plan pro-
vide for an executive budget"
1t Is stated by the League. in criti-
cism Of the measure. that it will moi
give us visible" government; that I,
viii not fix responsibility in a way to
help the voter; that the only way en-
ecutlve heads can be made responsible
and the voter intelligent is TO require
the cabinet 10 appear personally be-
fore the appropriating, representativ,
branch. and explain and defend then
acts and proposals; that such ar
open forum encounter between the ad.
ministration and its opponents viii
make news; and that it is only
through the news columns that 40,
coo. 900 voters can be reached.
The suggestion that cabinet officer,
be allowed the privilege OF the foo
in both houses of Congress is not ;
new one, but has been under con
sideration for a. long time. Thus far
however. no Congress has ever evin1
ed the slightest disposition to gran
the privilege.
Yet il is contended that the Trainer
Of our Constitution had this matte
in view during the performance O
their great work, and that it was sup
posed at first it was the duty of tn
- Executive to be thus practically rep
" resented in the Congress during tn
consideration OF measures directl
affecting the administration.
In foreign governments, notabl
that OF Great Britain. cabinet mir
= isters have the privilege of the fioc
" during the sessions of Parliamen
~ and are looked to for explicit expls
=" nations of the purposes and desir,
~ OF the administration. That an
harm would result from an extensio
OF this privilege to our cabinet mil
~ listers is inconceivable. On the col
trary. there is reason to believe Il
y innovation would be attended by goo
~ results.
ENER-READY BRANCH OF