Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-27
CONGRESS STIRRED BY IDEA
OFFLOORRIGHTFOR CABINET
BY CONDO

be, and will have to be master in
the art of give and take. To grant
cabinet officers merely the same priv
ilege that the president now holds of
formally addressing congress would
hardly change the existing relation
ship. Any formal communication a
cabinet member desires to send to
congress can, through the courtesy
OF any senator, be read into the con-
gressional record.
Considered from every angle, the
new plan offers limitless pos.
sibilities.
Will congress, after hearing and
cross-eXamining cabinet officers,
reserve to itself the right to vote
censure of or confidence in a par
ticular head of a department?
Ii given q vote of lack Of con-
fidence, would the cabinet officer
resign?
Under the new system, would the
cabinet officer be drawn somewhat
away from his allegiance to the
president alone and feel virtually an
equal responsibility to congress?
| President Harding has held that
cabinet officers have the right to
freedom of speech-the expression
of individual views, such as Secre-
tary Weeks announced in regard to
the present prohibition law. Be-
cause these views do not happen to
coincide with those of some SEN
atorS or representatives, the presi-
dent does not feel he is called upon
to censure his official family. Under
the new system would congress ar
rogate to itself this right Of CEN
sure?
With cabinet officers being sub
Ject to congressional call and cross.
examination, would a president feel
called upon more and more to select
a cabinet from men trained in the
halls of congress? Two of Presi-
dent Harding's cabinet were in the
senate-Messrs. Fall and Weeks.
Secretary DENLY served for a time
in the house.
If not taken from congress itself,
would not a president be tempted
to gauge his cabinet material by the
ability of men under consideration
to handle themselves we'll in debate
and would this not materially
change the type of cabinet officers?
Would not the lawyer-type come
into as full possession of the execu-
tive branch as he always has had
Of the legislative?
There is no question but that the
privileges of the floor would be
helpful to the cabinet officers in
many instances. Secretary Hughes
would have deemed it the highest
privilege to have been permitted to
explain in the senate various treat
les adopted at the Washington arms
conference, and he would have been
delighted to answer every question
fired at him. Secretary Hughes
would have made a great impress
sion upon the senate and he I'M
questionably could have shortened
the debate and expedited action on
the various pacts.
Other cabinet officers who have
devoted their lives to business and
have no gifts of oratory or debate,
might not fare so well on questions
affectlng their particular depart
ments. All department heads, how
ever, without exception, are said
to favor the plan of boarding con-
gress in it's den.
The new arrangement would be
a step in the direction of a RESPONSE
BILE ministry such as exists in Eng
land but probably would never go
so far as that. There is a feeling
all around, however, that popular
government will take a step ahead
when members of the cabinet can
be interpellated on the floor of con-
greSS.