The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-04
PRESIDENT HAS
PRAISE FOR
CONGRESS
Inaugural Message Indicates
Coolidge Has No Desire
to Be Dictator
BY WILLIAM HARD.


BY WILLIAM HARD.
The big thing seen by official
Washington in the Presidents in
augural address Is that the Presi-
dent seems to have no intention of
trying to assume those dictatorlal
powers which many Of his admirers
throughout the country have been
asking and expecting him to take to
himself during his new administra-
ton.
For Washington the peak of the
Presidents address is the passage
in which he praises the Congress
and says that he approvingly hopes
1t will continue to be an independent
coordinate branch OF the Govern
ment.
Congressman were appreciative OF
the Presidents declaration to the
effect that "in spite Of all the crit
icism which often falls to the lot of
the Congress, do not hesitate to
say that there is no more indie
pendent and effective legislative
body in the world"
Congressman were even more
pleased with the Presidents further
declaration that Congress Is, and
should be, jealous Of it's preroga-
tive"
Thus falls to the ground the high
that the President in his new Adj
ministration would endeayor to rule
Congress with bit and spur.
Shows No Irritation.
The President, as already stated
in these dispatches, shows indeed
not even any disposition to bring
drastic pressure to bear upon the
approaching special session of the
Senate In the matter of that favorite
project Of his, the League World
Court.
Further, the President Is show
ing no personal irritation over the
large number Of his recommends.
tons which have been rejected by
the session Of Congress now con-
cluded.
Altogether, to this session of
Congress, the President made. by
careful count, some twenty-eigh
recommendations for legislation.
He made these recommendations
some OF them in his annual mes
sage last December and some OF
them by formal or informal an
nouncement while the session was
In progress.
Not more than nine of these
twenty eight recommendations OF
his were accepted by the Congress
and enacted into law. All the
others failed eff enactment.
Moreover, the ones that were re-
IAA II rrR nh
greater importance than the ones
that were accepted. For instance.
the Congress passed a rivers ind
habors bill of the familiar sort in
harmony with the Presidents
publicity section Of the income tax
law in spite Of the Presidents
urgent request for such a repeal.
Has Kept His Temper.
The President, nevertheless, has
kept his temper, and in his daily
behavior, just as now at last in his
inaugural address. He has con-
coded to Congress the perfect right
to make up its own mind on legis-
lative matters.
When the Presidents large ma
jority at the polls last November
was noted, there were numerous
predictions to the effect that the
President would now take hold Of
everything in Washington and run
it to- suit himself, and that the
Senate and the House would be In
Inundated by the majority Of votes
which the President had personally
rolled up.
These predictions were a mis-
calculation of the character of the
Senate leaders and House leaders
and also a miscalculation Of the
character of the President himself
The months which have gone by
since the election have accumulat-
ingly proved that the President
takes a strictly constitutional view
Of his position and of the position
Of the Congress.
Sticks to Own Job.
He thinks it his duty to make
recommendations to the Congress
and he thinks 1t his duty to veto
such laws as he does not think
wise. He thinks that at that point
his duties toward Congress stop.
He does not find in the Constitu-
llOH ally WdETdHL 1CE. any attempted
presidential bullying of Congress.
The President, in fact, it is noted
here today, has the general habit
Of attending to his own job and no
one else's. He does not even try. to
attend to the jobs of his own Cabi-
net members. He let's them alone
as much as he can. The very core
Of his method Of politics is that he
confines himself to his own troubles.
His remarks about Congress in
his inaugural address are thought
here today to be sufficient notifica.
ton to the whole country that he
intends to be an absolutely consti-
tutional American President and in
tends to leave the control of Con-
gress to the voters who elect the
Congress.
For President in this new admin
istration We are going to have a
man on electric horseback, but not
a man on horseback" was the sum-
ming-up comment Of Washington
today.
Copyright. 1925, by Current News
Features, Inc)