Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-04-07

tlOD OF any kIlu WHICH WAS 6nllISlJ
well received by all the legislative
gentlemen who sit on Capitol Hill,
and whose desire is to guard their
prerogatives in any case.
This thing is in no sense partisan
matter. 1t is simply human matter.
The Democrats and Republicans alike
have shown jealousy of extra powers
newly conferred on government Off
cials and occasionally have taken it
out in carping at what they call new
tangled notions, generally predicting
dire happenings unless reform speedi-
ly should be worked.
When President Harding, while yet
candidate for election, said that he
thought the vice president ought to
have n more important place in the
cOunsels of the administration, there
seemingly was general public, or at
any rate, party approval of the sug-
gestion. There was no Republican
legislator at that time who cared TO
raise his voice in protest, or even in
mild criticism of the candidates sug-
gestion, for no party man with a de-
sire for success of the ticket cares
in the middle of a campaign to say
anything direct or indirect in contra
vention of an expressed thought Of
the standard bearer.
Leaders Find Fault.
Today things are a little different.
The Republicans succeeded in carry
ing the election. Now with big ma
jority in either house of congress and
with four years of the presidency to
run, some few leaders are beginning
to speak out a bit. Apparently the
influential ones do not want Mr.. Cool
idge to share with the cabinet officers
the official intimacy with the Presi-
dent of the United States which at
tendance at the meetings of the cabi-
net necessarily involves.
Why is this? The reason is Easy.
The Republican leaders in house and
senate always have maintained they
should be the first ones to receive
from the President of the United
States any intimation of a new legis-
lative policy, or of the revival Of an
old one. They do not like to feel that
any man except a cabinet officer even
though he be vice president of the
United States, shall get advance in
formation or that the leaders should
be expected to receive their in
formation from anybodytbut the Presi-
dent.
The vice president took part in the
first cabinet meeting of the year, and
information came that his presence
was satisfactory to all the members
of the cabinet, and that the President
was especially pleased because Mr..
Coolidge, when his opinion was asked
on any subject, gave it freely and
without any embarrassment arising
from the new order of things.
Keeps Eye on Latin-America.
Here is the way the Department of
State put forth a most pregnant bit
of information:
1.-THE Department of State has re-
quested the Navy department to send
warships to both the Atlantic and the
Pacific sides of the boundary line be-
tween the republics of Panama and
Costa Rica to protect American lives
and property in the event it is found
that the local authorities are unable
to afford the necessary protection"
Curious ones in Washington are ask
ing what has become of the monitor
nations" of Central and South Amer
10 EaI nd
ward over their smaller brother cOun-
tries, exercise moral suasion first, and
then force, if necessary, in order to
keep them in the straight and narrow
way Of peace, the way which leadeth
unto nations salvation.
Before Mr.. Harding came into office
as President there were politicians in
plenty who said that he had a dream
of a greater United States which would
extend from the Canadian line to the
southernmost point of the isthmus of
Panama. Men here say it is pretty
hard to believe that the President had
any such dream as this, and still less
easy to believe that he ever will formu-
late a policy so all-embracing and
fraught, as many men here, regardless
of party say, with peril, but it Is
known that the President is ready to
take instant notice of any trouble to
the south of us, and ready to take in
slant means to put stop to it.
Monitor Nation Plan.
Washington is curious to know if
Mr.. Hughes intends to revive the old
monitor nation plan, put life and press
ure into it, pressure on the greater
Latin-American republics which will
move them to stop minor rows on their
own behalf, and thus relieve the United
States of duties which it does not care
to exercise because Of the ilI-feeling
which our interference always gener-
ates.
Some men seem to have forgotten it,
but Elihu Root as secretary of state
went to Central and South America
and pleaded for peace and good will,
and seemingly succeeded in laying the
foundation thereof.