Evening star., 1925-03-20
To>the Editor Of The Star:


which would most effectively bring
about cooperation between the ex-
ecutive and legislative branches of
the Government, avoiding the teIn-
porary supremacy Of either one or
the other, and situations generally
regretted in and out of Congress, is
one which has repeatedly been urged
since the founda tion of the Govern
ment.
The most competent living author
ity upon the subject is the present
Chief Justice. Mr. Tafts experience
as a member of the Cabinet and as
President led him. in 1912, to recon-
mend in message TO Congress the
change in the rules to which refer
ehce is made. After his retirement
from the presidency he frequently
took occasion to urge it's favorable
consideration. Justice Story held the
same opinion in regard to the exist
ing lack of direct personal inter
course between the heads of the de-
partments and Congress. He said:
The heads of the departments are In fact
thus precluded from proposing yndicsting
their own measure iH the face of the Nation.
Thus open and public responsibility which
IN republican government, its greatest
security and strength, is done away with.
The Executive IS compelled to resort TO ss
cret and unseen influences, TO private inter
views and private arrangements. .
Measures viii be adopted or defeated by pri,
vate intrigues, political combins t0ns, and all
the deadening weight of silent patron
1t cannot be too often repeated
that the men who founded the Con-
federate government preserved the
existing provisions of our Constitu-
ton, distributing the functions of the
three separate and Independent de-
partments. the executive, IegisIa-
tive and judicial, and after the words,
| And no person holding any executive
office under the Coz edeIate States
shall be a member OF either House
during his continuance in Office"
they introduced the following clause:
But Congress may by law grant to the
House with the privilege of discussing any
measures appeitsihIng TO their departments.
No Evidence of Results.
The Confederate government was
practically in the saddle during the
/ Civil War, and therefore we have no
| means of judging in what manner
| this change of practice was carried
out which they undoubtedly believed
| to be an Improvement upon that
which still prevails in our Govern
! ment.
| In 1854 Mr. PendIeton of Ohio in
| troduced in the House of Representa-
| tives bill which read as follows:
That the Secretary of state, the Secretary
| of War, the Secretary OF the Navy the Sec
| ana the Postmas ster General shall be entitled
| TO occupy seats on the noor Of the Senate and
participate In debate on matters relating 10
| the business of their respective departments,
under such rules as may be prescribed by the
| Senate and House, respectively.
| That the said Secretaries and Attorney Gen
eral and the Postmaster General shall attend
the sessions of the senate the opening of
] NJ oh
week. and the sess ons of the House of Repre-
sentstiyes on the opening of the s'ttinss
Monday and Thursday OF each ,,yeek. to give
| information asked by resolution or in reply to
questions which may be propounded to then
| and the Senate and House may, by standing
| orders, dispense with tine attendance of one
more of said officers sn either of said days.
| Mr.. Garfield of Ohio, later elected
President, signed the report in favor
of the bill. Mr.. Pendleton in 1881, as
Senator. introduced similar bills
The report of the Senate committee
in its favor was signed by Senators
George II. Pendleton of Ohio, W. B.
Allison of Iowa, J. @. Blaine of Maine
John j. Ingalls, of Kansas, o. H. Piatt
of Connecticut, ID. w. Voorhees, of In
diana, NJ. c. Butler of South Carolina
! and j. I. Farley of California.
| In order to carry into effect the
provisions of the bill, they recon-
mended set of rules, to be amended
as experience might dictate:
Rules as Recommended.
That the secretary of the Senate (or clerk
! OF the Housel shall keep notice book, IN
| member, any. resolution requiring information
from any of the executive departments
any question intended TO he proposnded to
| any OF the Secretaries. or the Postmaster
| General, or the Attorney General, relating to
public affairs or to the business pending be
| the name of the member and the day when
! the will be called up.
The member giving notice of such resou-
ton or question shall at the same time give
notice that the same shall be called up in
the Senate Tor House, on the following Tues
| luton or question shall be called up, except
by unanimous consent. within less than three
! days after notice shall have been given.
The secretary OF the Senate tor clerk of
| the House, shall, on the same day on which
notice is entered. transmit to the principal
the resolution or question. together with the
name of the member proposing the same. and
Of the day when it will be called up in the
In the senate Tor House,, on Thursday and
Friday Of each week, before any other bust
ness shall be taken up, except by unanimous
| consent, the resolutions and questions shall
be taken up in the order in which they have
been entered upon the notice book for that
day.
The member offering resolution may state
saeeinctiy ss the object an and scope Of his resou-
ton. and the Secretary OF the proper depart
ment may reply, giving the informs tion or
the reason why the same should be withheld Id &,
and then the Senate Tor House, shall vote
on the resolution, unless it shall be with
drawn or postponed.
| In putting any questions to the Secretaries,
! or the Attorney General. or Postmaster Cen
eral, no argument opinion Is to be offered
nor any fact stated except so far as may be
! necessary to explain such question: and in
| answering such questions, the Secretary, the
| shall not debate the matter to which the
| same refers. nor state facts or opinions other
| than those necessary to explain the answer.
| Taft Used Report.
Ours not having the DISADVANTAGES
of the typical parliamentary system
interrogatories could not be instituted
or debates undertaken for the purpose
of turning out a government"
President Taft incorporated the
Pendleton report in his message TO
| Congress. Since then bills have been
introduced in every Congress Sena-
tor Mclean of Connecticut has re-
| peatedly introduced the BILL which
was before the Senate in the Congress-
just ended. Representative Montague
i of Virginia has followed the same
course
With the enormous DEVELOPMENT Of
the country and the consequent in
crease in legislative and administra.
| tive business, the necessity for the
adoption of some such plan becomes
daily of more vital Importance. 1t is
remarkable that President Wilson. in