The Washington times., 1923-03-11
HARDING FACES
CONGRESS RIFF I
] ON COURT Plan
Republican Leaders Resent
Presidents Move As Effort
to Force U. S. Into League
NOMINATIONS ALSO ISSUE
Attempt Of Executive to lam
Appointees Through Leaves
III Feeling Among Senators
Rx JAMES r. NouRsE.

| Universal Service Staff Correspondent.
The growing GOODNESS between
President Harding and his former
close associates and advisers in
Congress is the most tangible
sign Of what is going on within
the councils Of the Republican
party today.
When the President returns to
the White House and, In December,
finds Congress again on his hands,
lit is anticipated he win be faced
with even greater difficulties In the
way of getting his program OF leg
| islation enacted than he did in the
Congress just ended.
One was the thrusting OF the
| League of Nations court scheme be-
fore the Senate in the final week
! OF the session, and the other was
| the attempt made by the Executive
to force confirmation Of appointees
who were deemed by the Senate to
be undesirable, and to jam these
selections down by giving them re-
cess appointments after the Senate
sat in Judgment upon them.
| Notable among these appointees
was James G.. McNary, of New
| Mexico, named for Comptroller OF
the Currency, who failed OF con-
| firnation after the Senate commit
/ tee investigated his record, and was
rendered recess appointment,
which McNary declined.
OTHERS FLATLY REJECTED.
Walter L. Cohen, appointed Con-
| troller of the Customs at New
i = n.
| pointed a year ago, refused confirm
alton. given q recess appointment
after Congress adjourned, and held
| the job until Congress re-convened,
when his name was again sent to
the Senate, and this time fatty re-
i jected by a majority vote.
/ Another appointment which has
i left q bad taste in the mouth was
that of Joseph w. Tolbert, to be
/ Marshal in South Carolina He was
| like Cohen in that the Senate failed
/ to confirm him. and he served
with recess appointment. He has
/ Just been given another recess
/ appointment after the Senate again
/ failed to confirm him. Senator
Dial, of South Carolina, made q
vigorous fight against the appoint
ment, alleging Irregularities in con-
nection with the dispensing OF
Federal patronage in that state.
These appointments, and others
/ on the list. have made Republican
leaders in the Senate feel that the
/ President does not value their udg-
ment IN respect to nominees for
/ important Federal places, and is UNI
| willing to accept their decision after
thew have demonstrated that such
! appointees are in the undesirable
| class.
The task OF trying to obtain con-
| firmation of such appointees has
| fallen heavily on the Republican
| leaders, most of whom wish the
! President would consult them more
/ frequently before making up his
! mind whom to appoint in their re-
/ spective States.
| The nomination of Pierce Butler
/ of Minnesota to be Associate Justice
/ of the Supreme Court, as well as
that of Judge William MCGEE to be
District Judge in the same State
| engendered bitter controversies In
| volving Senator La Toilette and
| Both judges were confirmed after
a fight.
FROWN ON WORLD COURT.
The Presidents determination to
| plunge the Senate into revivifica-
| ton of the League of Nations strug-
gle does not make for harmony
within the party. The Republican
leaders are not of the opinion that
j any considerable element in the
party, with the exception of the
small faction led by Secretaries
Hughes and Hoover, entertains any
notion that it would be good poll
! tics to get behind the league issue
now or at any other time. Senators
| like Lodge, Watson. Smoot and
Curtis, seeming the real issues or
| 1924 far in advance, do not want to
have anything to do with the
| league court plan. They will DO
everything they can to avoid hav-
ing it voted upon when the next
Senate convenes. Openly, they may
go through the motions of stand
| ing by the President" but their real
desire is that the court scheme may
be laid upon the shelf. +,
In addition to this, serious at
tempts by the President to put the
court proposal over will mean an
other party split, with Senators
Johnson, Mccormick, Moses ana
Brandegee organizing the ngnt
against the Presidents policies on
foreign affairs. 1t will mean trou-
BILE on every hand. Another thing
to be considered is that the Repuo-
lican majority in the Senate VIII be
cut down to such small inquire
that a few votes either way will
unset the entire Administration pro-
gram if the fight gets under way in