Norwich bulletin., 1921-08-23
President Right to
 Appear in Congress
Question Caused a Stormy Debate in Senate-Sena- tors Lodge, Lafollette and Borah Participated.

Washington, Aug 22-President Hard ing s appearance before the senate last month n opposition to passage of the soldiers bonus bill started a storm of debate in the senate tonight, during which his course was criticised and de- tended The discussion was started by Senator La Toilette, republican, Wiscon- sin, who referred to the resolution intro ducei ill the house yesterday by Rep ! reSentatlvc Cochran criticising the pres ident for addressing one branch of con gress on pending legislation and drew many senators mo the fray. Senator Ledge, the republican leader, called attention to the peace without vic tory speech of former President Wilson to | the senate, prior to American entrance into the war and his address on the sui | frage amendment later.
 It would be a sad day the Massachu- setts senator said, for the republic when any oe of the three branches of the gov ernment could not confer with another Declaring it was not necessary either | to criticise or eulogize MT. Harding | Senator Borah said that on the question of the bonus we surrendered our judg- ment to his dictation. If the president wanted precedent, there were plenty he declared, adding that this did not change the situation.
 MT. La Follettee assailed the president for what he described a executive in reference with the legislative branch | of the government He asserted that the president was brought into the de. bate to prevent passage of the bill and that his action was without authority under the consiAution.
 | Mir. Lodge declared he saw no reason l for debarring the president from con. gress and Senator Knox interjected:
 And I see no reason why congress should be barred from the White House as has occurred in the past eight years 1 Mir. Lodge also cited numerous con. stitutional provisions which he said gav' the president full authority to address either branch of congress at his pleasure sa ying that it would be impossible fol 1 the president to speak to both houses ii only one were in session. Asserting tha he never had heard such a violent de nuRcia ton of Wilson as ha been directed at MT Harding, Senator Kellogg said h, was unable to understand the reason | for 1t.
 MT. Borah explained that he was ir | full accord with the president on the bonus question, but that his criticism was aimed at the appearance of a pres ident, whether MT. Wilson CT MT. Hard ing.
 T am unable to find anything like i prior to the Wilson administration" h. said. with all due respect, know O no more pitiable spectacle ever pres l ented to the people than that of th' senate in throwing down the bonus bil after 1t had been reported and the pres ident had come here to oppose it. was because he came here that we sur rendered our judgment to his dictation
 The republican pA-ty had made solemn pledge for enactment of bonu legislation. There was not an item il the presidents message that was not be fore us We had made the bill the un finished business and had given the as surance it would be pushed and passed It would have passed if it had been pu to a vote.
 While think the president was righ on his attitude on the bonus, the momen he left the chamber the bill was IS dea
 as Julius Caesar. Now what become of the greatest legislative body in th world?"
 Senator New suggested that the pres ident's speech had given senators cour
 age to change their position and Nil Knox said he took credit to himself whe
 his views were changed by the superio argument of another.