Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1924-05-01
WASHINGTON LETTER
CONTINUED from pax. u


is the personal advisor of the
President on fiscal matters relat-
ing to federal expenditures and
revenue. A Cabinet officer calls
to discuss some detail of his de-
partment, a distinguished visitor
is presented, chairmen of import
ant House and Senate committees
call in a body to acquaint the
Chief Executive the progress of
legislation on Capitol Hill. The
congressman and Senators pre-
senting small numbers of their
constituents to the President are
received in group at noon, in
order to conserve time and ener-
gy. Occasionally, if the Presi-
dent is willing, personal intro
auctions are made by the legisla-
tors, but this practice is not en-
couraged as it is a physical strain
upon the Chief Magistrate.
Just at present. the President
must find time to strike a Just
balance on claims and counter
Gains covering bills awaiting his
signature or veto. The perspec-
tive of a President must necessar-
lily differ from those who frame
the law. as he must discriminate
between appearance and reality.
Some legislation is based on the
opinion of a few without regard
as to the consequences. But it
remains for the President to
make a distinction as to what
constitutes. in his opinion, good
and bad laws. He must decide
within a few days what position
he will take on the bonus. He
must either approve or reject the
immigration law, but unlike Con-
gress, the President is obliged to
consider the effect of this par
ticular bill upon international re-
lations. The Executive must
look at all angles and in this
work he must depend largely
upon a selected staff of advisors.
Aside from giving attention to
these items, the President must
arrange his program to include
preparation of speeches, signing
of documents, reading of hun
dreds of letters which have been
carefully sifted by his personal
secretary, and must attend to
numerous other duties which fall
to the lot of nations leader.
President Coolidge's comment
that the recent speech of Senator
Borah contained logical conclu-
sions on general legislation" is
significant because of the fact
that the Idaho Senator is not
recognized particularly as a Re-
publican spokesman. Leaders OF
both parties admit that Senator
Borah's statement that economy
in government public expendi
ture is perhaps the greatest un
solved problem of the govern
ment and not party matter blu
rather national problem" i
without partisan favor.
Referring to legislation, Sena
tor Borah said: In these day
there are countless remedies be
ing proposed to help the farmer
but give him a market for thai
which his indefatigable industry
produces and the farmer will
neither ask for, nor accept, the
remedies born of political fright
And the way to build this market
is to unchain the latent energies
which taxes have greatly steri-
lied and unleashed the initiative
which shameless waste has all
but destroyed"
One of the statements made by
Senator Borah was the fact that
legislators and politicians under
estimate the sincerity, capacity
and the willingness of the voters
to do great things and make
great sacrifices for their coun-
try"
A warning against the gradual