Evening star., 1925-03-25

Continued from First Page)
or in the special session OF the
Senate held Immediately afterward,
but the votes were there to reject
it. And if the Senate were to meet
tomorrow it would reject Mr.. Wood
locks name.
Senate Must o. II. Pay.
The making of recess appoint
ment, therefore, for Mr.. Woodlock
has back of it unusual circumstances.
First of all, recess appointees whose
names were rejected by the Senate
when in session cannot draw pay for
work they do unless a special resolu-
ton is passed to compensate them.
There have been several cases of this
kind and Congress probably wouldn't
hesitate TO pay Mr.. Woodlock next
December even if it did reject his
nomination.
Mr.. Woodlock is a Democrat. The
spectacle of the Democrats fighting
one of their own number will, in the
opinion of Mr. Coolidge, give the
country an example of partisanship
which will not reflect credit on the
Democrats if they, together with the
insurgent Republicans, reject the
nomination. The opposition to MIR.
Woodlock, as publicly expressed by
the Democrats, is due to the fact
that they felt the South should be
represented in the particular va
cancy of the commission being filed
The President offered it to two men
in the South who declined for private
business reasons. Having tried the
South and having also read the
statute which does not specifically
bind Mr.. Coolidge to pick a man
from the South, the President went
ahead with the appointment of Mr..
Woodlock.
Other Factors in Fight.
There are other things besides
Southern representation involved in
the controversy. Mr.. Woodlock has
been a financial writer in New York
and has spent a good deal of time in
Wall Street. The Democrats think he
Will naturally reflect the views of the
financial and railroad world rather
than the shippers and farmers. They
do not openly say this, but that will
be the reason why the Western in
surgent Republicans will fight Mr.
Woodlock's confirmation. Mr.. Wood
lock is an authority on railroad
finance. The railroads have always
felt that the Interstate Commerce
Commission should contain at least
few men who understand railroad
finance. There are some important
financial operations pending. The In
terstate Commerce Commission has
become the regulator of American
railroads, and approves some of the
security issues made by railroads. All
this is taken into consideration in
making an appointment. President
Coolidge feels that in Mr.. Woodlock
he has found just the man for the job
Provides Debate Topic.
1t all depends, of course, on the
point of view. The Democrats, who
have revived their coalition with the
insurgent Republicans, are getting
ready to blame the administration for
the condition of agriculture due to
high freight rates, and the Woodlock
case naturally gives them something
to talk about. On top of all of this
are the sacred rights of the Presi-
dent and the Senate with respect to
appointments, a subject which affords
an outlet for oratory and argument.
When Congress reconVeneS it will
start about where it left off, with
fight over the rights Of the Senate
Mr.. Woodlock may be the innocent
victim of another war between the ex-
ecutive and the Legislative branches
! OF the Government.
Maybe by next December there will
be more important issues over
shadoWing this one. Anyhow, Mr..
| w oodlock enters the duties of his
| job with a full realization of the fact
| that he may lose it, but at the per-
suasIon of the President he has ac-
| cepted the post.