Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-28
SENATE POWER IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

wasn,nrton. Juno 28--Studonts Of I
uo,itA,a in relation to tho American
government arc claiming that the
United States IL beginning on q n@w
cycle OF political life. They assert
that for the next few years. prmmpiy
decade, tho Senate OF tho United
States will occupy tho dominant po-
sition In governmental affairs.
II IN a. matter OF historical fact that
sdnco the foundation Of our govern
nner.> we have passed through a con-
,,nuous series OF cycles, tho dominant
leadership shifting from the iosis-
lative 10 the executive branch ana
back again. The Development now dls-
cerned /. a variation Of the usual, 10
that Il is tho United Btates SENATE
rather than tho entire BODY OF Con
gress. which has forged to tho 'front.'
! Heretofore tho succession has been DO
tween the executive branch, headed py
the President. and Congress az
whole.
To trace tho development In recent
times. the close Of the nineteenth |
century was a period OF Legislative
control. These cycles are determined
by n variety OF factors, but the one
which brings about me Leadership OF
tho Congress is the existence OF one
or more great national issues. In the
close OF tho nineteenth century the
issue was the tariff. Such questions
as tariff and taxation are in the hands
Of the Congress II alone can enact
tariff and revenue laws.
Following the Cleveland panic, the
. country was in the mood Tor hlgh
protective tariff, and this turned the
public attention TO Congress, the taT1rl-
framing body. The Mckinley tar1f
yyas enacted md the Congress was the
focal point Of the peoples thoughts.
RooseyeIt's Domination.
Then came the rise OF Theodore
} Roosevelt. Here was a personality OF
l extraordinary force and naHnetisn
coupled with a transition 20 new is
sues. The issue OF conservation On
national resources and various other
T matters which were more compacty
g handled by executive authority than
hy legislative. forced attention 20 the
d Executive and away from the Con-
I. gress. The White House held the
center Of the stage for years and
o Congress was an adjunct merely.
% The administration OF President
2. Taft was q sort OF interregnum, the
d great executive issues being somewhat
Il dormant. but the momentum OF the
IL Roosevelt period carried over unit
the election Of Woodrow wilson, an
n other dominant personality OF typ'
nsvy 20 the Presidency. This WAS Vol
u lowed by the war which. as mattel
le Of course, focused public attenSior
/ on the President. the Commandment
d Chief OF The Army and Navy.
,r In no previous cycle OF American
" deyelopnent was so much power con
centratsd in tho Executive as dur1n'
,r the war. It represented the Tfdes
IS amplitude az the ewing OF power iron
legislative 70 executive. II VIII o
IN remembered how The Congress enacted
a. law after law placing in ths hand
n OF the President practically infinite
y authority. Regulation OF tho mos
, Fundamental character was, IN som
;, instances, imposed by Presidential
= PROCLAMATION rather than By legisla
a. tive enactment. Prices were fixed 4
, his name. tho railroads. were take
;, over and operated and multitude
" other governmental activities carrie
~ on.
With the close Of the war the Per
dulum started 70 swing back agail
Al bringing in this case an extraordnar
difference.
OF As the taxing power lies in the Cor
OF gress as a whole. 30 does the pow'
en- OF rat.tying treaties lie in the hant
le- OF the United States Senate.
te- One OF the elements which brinl
us about these swings OF dominance
re- the personality OF. the Chief Executiv
Il will DO remembered that with Il
treaty signed at Versailles. the Pres
dent fell III and was forced 70 retil
from public notice and from col
spicuous place before the people. Coil
The cidentally, the treaty want TO the Sci
Ing ate for ratification and for the hr
Ing time IN It's history the Senate becan
1ce alone the central point OF interest.
as The Constitution provides that q
as treaty making power shall rest IN q
J. Executive and the ratification power
nd the hands of the Senate. But in IN
mas case, the Senate went beyond q me
the consideration and the giving Of It's a
II vice and consent It proposed and e.
as acted reservations. Il assumed inc
ing rectly the treaty making rather thl
on the treaty-ratitying power. Instead
ION merely taking the completed trea
and deciding whether or not it shoU
Tho be consented TO, the Senate pTactics
+ha ~ rewrote the treaty. When II fnal
Rot was ratified II was a treaty so diffe
ot.I ent from that which the President h
! = signed that when it was returned
= the White House he piseon-holed
never sending il 20 the other sign
a., tory powers. Recently IL is report
that the treaty as ratified has be
entirely lost
of A Senator Becomes President
With Now the curious result OF this BIZ
sors soming into the limelight OF the Sc
wed ate was that for the first time
re- American history q member OF u
With body was elected 10 the Preslden
tar The prominence which the Sem
achieved brought It's members il
prominence and so when the time ca
for election. II was. to the Senate 4
the people turned for a. President
Senate's experience IN holding
whip hand caused 1t to undert,
things which previously 1t had
for the Executive or for the Congr
as whole. By resolution calling VI
executive departments for special
norris or for sDecial action or inf