Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-06-30
UP ID CONGRESS
To KEEP PLEDGES
PRESIDENT THINKS 1T. WILL YET
REDEEM ITSELF, BUT HE DE-
cLINES TO DICTATE.
HIS PROGRAM NOT EQUIvoCAL
Harding Has Given the Law Makers
Clear List of recommendations for
Legislation and Leaves the Full Re-
sponsbiIity on Them.
Bv JAMES p. HoRNADAY

congress will yet redeem itself. And,
furthermore, he believes, according to
these same members, that if the legis-
lative body does redeem itself in the
estimation Of the public without any
assistance from the executive branch
of the government, a long and impor-
tant step will have been taken toward
bringing the two branches Of the gov
eminent back to the relationship which
the Constitution intended should exist
between them.
If, on the other hand, the President
should at this time step in and ex-
ert the powerful influence which a
President always has at his command,
and thereby force the legislative body
to do his bidding, the congress would
find itself on lower level than ever
met put it, the President is trying to
help the congress get back to the
place in the scheme of government
which it is entitled to occupy. The
| remarkable thing about the situation
| is, it is pointed out, that the Repub-
licans in the legislative body do not
! seem to have any real appreciation Of
what the President is trying to do.
Day by day the Republican leaders in
! the two houses run to the White
House and in effect say to the Presi-
dent IF you do not assert leadership
we shall make a complete failure of
everything. We simply cannot go ahead
unless you come to our rescue"
The Presidents answer to all this is
chat the party of which he is the THU
lar head in the last presidential cam
paign asked for votes and undoubtedly
received them on the strength of a
promise that should the party succeed
in the national election, the relation
ship which the makers of the Consti-
tuition said should exist between the
legislative and executive branches of
the government would be promptly re-
stored. This was not only party
promise, the President points out, but
it was a personal promise on his part
And whatever betides, the President is
saying to legislative callers, he in
tends to live up to the promise.
e.
It can be said for President Har-
ding, and, indeed, should be said for
him, that no President within recent
generations has given the legislative
branch Of the government a clearer list
of recommendations. When he called
the present congress in extra SEES
sion last year, he told it what he
thought it ought to do. Then when
the regular session came on in Deem
Der last year, he submitted a definite
legislative program which embod-
led large number of recommends
lions. From time to time since the
regular session opened, he has made
recommendation that did not equivo-
cate
In the Il months since the congress
came together it has carried out really
only one recommendation of large i'm
portance, that for adoption of the
budget system. No congress ever had
finer opportunity to make a great
record for itself. With an absolutely
free hand, it could have carried
out the Presidents recommendations
promptly, or it could have improved on
them, which would have been better
still.
Puts Responsibility on Congress.
Obviously the Republican leaders
are trying to draw the President into
position with respect to ship subsidy
legislation which would not be consist
ent with his determination to put the
responsibility for the enactment of leg
islation on congress. During the last
few days some of the Republicans
leaders have said in effect to the Pres
ident that unless he asserts his lead
ership" there will be no subsidy legis-
Iation at this session. If there is any
legislation the President desires above
other before this session ends, it is
ship subsidy legislation, but he does
not propose to go farther than he has
already gone in presenting the subject
to congress. His attitude is that if
congress will not deal with the sub
ject, the responsibility will be on con-
gress, and not on him.
In all these circumstances, the pub
| lie must deem it strange that some in
telligent leadership is not developed
in the legislative body. In the SEN
ate, Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachu-
sets was by the votes Of Republican
senator's chosen leader, but in this po-
sition he has been an absolute failure
Close political friends Of his in his
own state are now calling on him TO
step forward and, show that he really
possesses some of the elements Of lead
ership. They are saying to him that
| he can make his reelection next fall
sure by taking hold of the senate sit
uation and bringing some sen1bIance
of order out of the existing chaos. In
the house of representatives the situa-
| ton is even worse. The call is not for
dictator in the senate or a dictator
in the house, but for wise, far-seeing
statesmanlike leadership
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