The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1921-08-12
men who are distinctly out of SYM

ing. Laid and Norris probably will
continue their fight on the floor OF
the Senate and endeavor to get the
Norris bill adopted as an amendment
but the whole power of the Admins
tration is opposed to them and there
is no chance OF their succeeding. Re-
dictionary Southern senator's, who
were forced to join the agricultural
bloc by pressure at home. really
welcome chance to vote for the
McNary substitute and the best L.add
and Norris can hope to do is to UNI
mask these false friends OF the
farmer" by putting them on record.
Patronage is all-powerful in Wash
ington and the President holds the
whip hand. He decided to block the
only bill which offered real aid to the
farmers and the measure is deader
than mackerell as the result of his
interference.
President Is Usurping Power
Roosevelt was famous for using
the big stick" ON Congress, and
Wilson. in the zenith OF his pop
ularity used to suggest legislation
but it is doubtful if any President
in American history has displayed as
legislative branch OF the government
as Harding He not only tells Com
gress what bills to pass-but he all
so tells it what bills not to pass 1t
was his message that killed the
soldiers bonus and then less than
two weeks later he interferred to
block the Norris bill and to demand
great gifts for the railroads. His cab
met officers, especially Mellen and
Hoover. are constantly having pet
bills introduced and the whole policy
of government seems to be settled
at White House conferences. The
House of Representatives used to be
sneered at as merely a debating So
ciety." but it is not even that in
these parlous days, when the major
ity party adopt committee reports"
shut off debate, make amendments
impossible, and drive measures
through with whip and spur Debate
is still possible in the Senate. but
the president yields so much power
through his disposal Of patronage
that only handful of senator's have
the courage to withstand him. AS a
matter OF fact, we are witnessing
collapse of congressional power,
comparable to the decline Of the Ro-
man senate in the days OF the first
Augustus, when the willy and die
tatorial consul over.hrew the Ro-
man republic and set u2 an empire
By his steady encroachments upon
the functions of the legislature. We
are in no immediate danger of set
ting up a political empire in these
United States, but we are setting up
an industrial oligarchy in which
Congress is directed by president
who in turn is the puppet Of great
financial interests which pull the
hidden strings. To all practical pur-
poses our national legislature has
ceased to function as it was intended
to by the formers of the constitution
and to the extent that the President
and his little clique of cabinet Of
! ficers and consulting financiers from
Wall Street, almost completely dom
mate Congress, we are abjectly sur
rendering the democracy for which
our forefathers fought and bled.
LFollette Organizes Opposition
This presidential usurpation is not
accomplished. however, without
vigorous protests by little group
in the Senate consisting of LhFol-
lette, Norris, Laid, Borah, Johnson,
France, Capper and Kenyon. LaFol-
lette has been especially active in
resenting infringemnt upon our con
stitutional liberties and during the
wa. often was forced to fight almost
alone. This group is now organizing
opposition to the $500, 900, 900 plum
which Harding wants the govern
ment to give the railroads. This
proposal will be severely attacked
and LaFollette and others are devils
ing counter demands which may be
supported by western senator's. 1t is
understood that LaFollette will de-
mand repeal Of the government guar
antee in the Esch-Cummins act, in
sist that the rate making power OF
the Interstate Commerce commits
sion be entirely restored, ask why
the railroads do not sell their secur-
tiles in the open market, and show
that most of the claims of the rail-
roads against the government are en-
tirely spurious. Secretary Hoover will
be put under fire, as he is credited