South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-13
The NEW CONGRESS AND LEADER

? Congress is again session. this time under fun
control Of the party OF capacity" We shall sec
we Is the time that body has
convened since 1910 with this party in such full
Lover. including the occupant of the white house.
II has a giant task before It. It Is a task that the
party IN control has thrust upon itself. With
Jcrty in the senate for the past two years it has
consistently suppressed the passing of important
legislation lest the credit pass TO the head Of the
administration. That IS the way OF politics.
The president too sends message for the con-
Eress- lie has recommended much the things
as his PREDECESSOR recommended no less than three
times during past years. and the OF It
fully two years ago The main difference between
the message the present congress, and the three
preceding sessions, has been matter OF words and
treatment the tariff. Congress could have disposed
OF these things long ago. and the country, and,
deed the world. have been two years farther on the
road to readjustment and back 10 normally" but
then. OF course that might have averted the unrest
dissatisfaction and crouch that resulted in the VIC
tory OF last fall
We are also TO have view OF the president in
IFS new leadership. The initiative and impulse Of
the president have been increasingly powerful with
congress FOR years. Mr.. Wilson merely
Up and enlarged and intensified what Mr. Roose-
welt had been doing before him. Are we TO look
AL this 10 end with Pres't Harding7 II has been
said, to the point OF wearisomeness that he
have done with presidential "autocracy." II this
means simply that he is TO consult and cooperate
and take good advice all can see tho resulting ad-
vantage. but If IMPLIES that ne is not to exert
tho originating vigor that properly belongs 20 the
Aead Of his party and the chief of the government
then those who hold TO this view are imagining
vain thing.
The president can not escape giving lead to
congress even II he tries II ne protest that
he had no wish to be a leader congress would go
to him and insist that he he What the cons.i-
tuition calls upon him 20 do-that is. to recon-
mend" TO congress the larger policies affecting the
well being Of the union-the necessity Of the case
viii compel him to do. He may adort the ideas Of
others. but he viii have urge them upon
gress as if they were his own.
There Is a particular reason at the present june
ture why the duty of leading VIII be assumed by
the president Ills right to leadership is tacitly
tested 4 number of estiuabIe gentlemen in the
eenate are ready 90 relieve him Of responsibility. IN
1851 Seward wrote his famous letter TO Lincoln
Offering % shape the course OF the government II
the president had 10 relish FOR the job. The New
Yorker speedily found out that the man from HE
nois Evas master. That PRIEST Harding viii receive
any such communication from within his cabinet
there is no danger. but number OF his former as
socates I'm the senate. counting upon his good
ture. visbiy preparing 20 take from his shout
ders the burden OF settling the main questions Of
home and foreign policy. Here however thing
appears which must seem unaccountable 20 the sem
ators conscious of their admirable wisdom. The
house Of Representatives prefers TO look TO the
president for leadership rather than the suPec-
men in the senate Strange t may appear, rep-
resentatives ike 70 be led about by the nose
By the demigod senators. They have long resented
the way in which their privileges have been
sEcroached upon by the senate and are OF no mind
q helr extend the process 10 acquIesce In the