Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-09
VICE PRESIDENT MARSHALL ADVOCATES
ABOLITION OF NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

| cASCulitS SIo"S ahA 81 ~
There is no doubt about there being
much duplication of work. If you get
into subject you don't know where
to go to get the information. II you
are hunting a ramrod you are just as
likely to find it in the Department OF
Agriculture as anywhere else.
when I was Governor of Indiana
we established what was known as
the state board of accounts. and its
job was to put into effect in the diff
| ferent state Offices a Uniform system
of bookkeeping. The board was to ex-
anime the accounts of each of the
state officers who dealt with fiscal
affairs, checking them UP each year.
The first year that the board was on
the job it saved $525,000 for the peo-
pie of Indiana simply in the matter
of supplies for the schools.
ut seems to me that something OF
that sort should be established for the
federal government The only trouble
alton of another bureau. I'm SO tired
of seeing bills introduced for the Gre
alton Of a new bureau that I'd love
to see one for chiffonier.
X X X x
COUCH a board ought to have the
power to reorganize the work
of the executive departments and dis
charge clerks. 1t should have the last
word in discharging clerks and there
should be no appeal"
do you think there is any chance
of such board being established to
reorganize the executive depart
ments?" I asked.
NO." Mr.. Marshall replied. land
there probably will not be until the
government gets so hard up that we
cannot squeeze another dollar out of
the people in the way of taxes"
DO you think there is much waste
in the appropriation bills for rivers
and harbors, post offices and the like?'
WELL" continued the Vice Presi-
dent. there is no sense in every town
rim the country having a post Office.
There are towns of 300 or 400 which
have them and towns Of 10000 which
In many instances it is cheaper for
the government to rent quarters for
post office purposes.
/ They have been using the argume mt
that post Office served a patriotic
purpose, that to have an American
patriotism. I think there Is nothing
in such an argument. My experience
has been that some of the most dis
loyal persons during the war were
those who went around with Ameri-
:an flags in their buttonholes.
Il have the greatest confidence in
the integrity of the Army engineers
and think that such sums as are ap-
propriated for river and harbor i'm
Drovements should be as a lump sum.
discretion as to what should and what
should not be improved. 1t is a good
! thing. of course, to have waterways
for commerce. On the other hand
pork barrel items for the improve
ment of useless creeks ought to be
stopped"
what" inquired has been you,
most interesting work in the Senator
Mr.. Marshall paused.
1.-The consideration of the federal re
1 serve act" said he.
ut happens that l was, one Of five
members of the Indiana state demo-
cratic committee who did not resign
in 1896 during the Bryan campaign.
did not agree with those who did re-
sign that the silver standard was un-
sound, taking the position myself that
the matter OF ratio was not so i'm
portant as the establishment of a
system which would give the country
currency system capable of expan-
sion in time of need.
Il X X
HCONSIDERED in this light, the re-
suit of the 1896 campaign was
interesting. The vote showed tina,
Mckinley carried every state where
there were sound banking facilities
where people did business by check,
the states that Bryan carried were
those which did not have such sound
banking facilities, where the men car
ried their money in their pockets. I,
showed dissatisfaction with poo1
banking facilities.
consequently l always stood for
better banking and improved facilI.
ties, and so when the federal reserve
Dill QInnU I he lxa
sort OF interest in the debate. Some.
thing occurred then that was interest
ing. There was much talk about the
necessity OF having Is per cent gold
ton, whom regard as one of the mos,
) careful students of finance in the
country. and asked him why is pei
cent gold reserve was necessary.
why, said Senator Burton. I've
read almost every book on the sub.
1ect OF finance and in none OF then
does 1t explain the necessity for a /!
per cent gold reserve. 1t has beer
considered necessary, simply accept.
ed; nomhere is the reason given
possibiAlo see by careful considera,
ton of Ne Senate debate on the fed
eral reserve act that the EuropeaY
war was on it's way. 1t was in De,
csmber. 1918. that the bill wen
through. and the war did not come
| ~A.Sti ShC tofiO"iuS AUGUST.
: II recall. when I signed the bill
after 1t passed the Senate that / pre-
, d1cted war in Europe within fiy.
years. 1t seemed perfectly simple
The debate, of course, covered a wild,
, range and the currency and fnancia
, systems OF all the important nation.
, were considered.
Every man. woman and child IL
Germany was paying an income ia,
OF 10 per cent. The kaiser had 500,
900 men under arms and was buildinf
an immense navy. The socialists wer1
gaining In power. and one of thei
strongest and most popular policie!
was disarmament. The socialist.
were becoming menace to thu
kaiser: He saw it coming and did no
, intend to let them topple him off tn,
throne. He had to go to war In order
TO justify the huge expenditures fol
armament. He wanted to go to wal
. with some nation he could lick, ant
!. 1t was from this that l saw the wal
coming"
What Is your conception of the
duty of the Vice PRESIDENT" asked
ITO preside In the Senate and to be
the pinch hitter for the administers
tion." Mr.. Marshall said promptly
Harding's idea of having the Vice
President attend the cabinet meet
ings. There are several reasons
Either Vice President is capable OF
being President II occasion demands
or he Is not. There would be nothing
quite so pitiful and so dangerous as a
Vice President. on becoming Presi-
dent. trying to carry out the policies
OF the man he succeeded. He ought
to have ideas OF his own and be able
to put them into force. unhampered.
X i X II