Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
Senator Norris Says Lewis
Got Place With Blanket
Resignation Demand.
REQUEST WAS REFUSED,
DATA OFFERED SHOW
Chief Executive Disturbed, But
OK. d Commission, Story CT
Clash Reveals.

BY The Associated Press
President Coolidge was charged i'm
the Senate yesterday by Senator Nor
ris. Republican, Nebraska, with vlo
lating the laws OF the land through
secret understandings with MS ap-
pointees to Independent commissions
Speaking in behalf of resolutions
| for the investigation of the Tariff
| Commission, Senator Norris declared
that the President belonged To the
group that believed the commission
should be used for partisan purposes
and that he had used his high office
! to misconstrue the letter and spirit
of the tariff law
He charged that Mr. Coolidge re
appointed David j. Lewis. Democrat
/ of Maryland. to the commission for
political purposes, but in bad faith.
j Before the appointment was made, the
Nebraska Senator said. the President
! requested Lewis to give him a blan
! ket letter of resignation, which the
President would be authorized to exc
cute at any time. Although Lewis re
fused to give the letter, the Senator
added, the appointment was made.
Asks if Others Obeyed.
Il wonder how many more resiana,
tionS President Coolidge is carving
around to hold over members of in
dependent commissions" he continued.
This is a very forceful method OF in
fiuencing. commissions.
4 letter from William :. Cuibert
son, former member of the Tariff Com
mission and now Minister TO Runania.
written September S, 1924, about Two
months before the election, to L. y.
| Costigan of Colorado. a member OF
the commission, was read by Senator
/ Norris as an illustration of what he
! said was the condition of affairs re
garding the commission.
! The letter follows:
! My dear Mr.. Costigan:
! You will perhaps have seen today
| in the press that Mr.. Lewis was re-
appointed Yesterday l reached Nash
/ ington Sunday evening and had not
been in my Office very long Monday
! morning before I was sent for by the
President. The result of my inter
view is covered by a memorandum, Il
copy of which I inclose.
Says Lewis Refused.
When I returned TO the office |
took the Presidents suggestions up
with Lewis and later he reached the
decision that he would not write the
! letter of resignation requested by the
President. He, however, went to see
the President, during the afternoon.
and I presume, he will write YOU the
details of what took place. In gen
eral this is what happened.
Senator Norris paused at this poin.
to read the memorandum, which fol
lows:
Shortly after I reached my Office
this morning, about $50. l received a
request over the telephone TO come 10
the White House TO see the President.
l went over Immediately. The Presi-
dent was reasonably cordial He be
gan by saying that the subject of the
interview was Mr.. Lewis reappoint-
ment. Mr.. Lewis term as . member
of the tariff commission expired yes
terday. The President stated that he
intended TO reappoint Mr.. Lewis, but
that he desired that Mr.. Lewis pre-
pare and give to him a letter of resig-
nation as a member OF the tariff com
mission At first l did not fully com
prehend the nature OF this request.
Il spoke OF Mr.. Lewis term having
already expired. Then the President
explained that he wanted Mr.. Lewis
to submit his resignation under the
new commission to be effective in case
he the PresidenD desires at any time
in the future TO accept II.
Ordered Commission Drawn.
THE President at this point called
in Mr.. Forster, one of his secretaries.
and instructed him to make out Mr..
Lewis commission of reappointment
as a member of the Tariff Commission,
effective today.
The President then handed me a
sheet of White House paper 50 that l
could take down the tenor OF the let
ter which he wished Mr.. Lewis to
write l wrote down the following
words.
"I hereby resign as a member OF
the Tariff Commission, to take effect
upon your acceptance.
Il raised the objection at this point
that an unqualified resignation of this
kind would imply on the record that
Mr. Lewis did not desire TO continue
as a member of the Tariff Commits
sion. The President replied that this
was a matter for Mr.. Lewis to de
eide. In explanation of his request,
the President said that he desired To
be free after the election concerning
the position filled by Mr.. Lewis. He
said that if he were not elected. the.
Democrats might undertake to hold
up other appointments which he made
during the next session of the Senate,
and he implied that he, desired to use
the appointment of Mr.. Lewis for
trading purposes in case of necessity.
Refused to Commit Self.
II thereupon asked the President
whether l could have his assurance
that if he were reelected Mr.. Lewis
could be continued as a member of
the Tariff Commission. He said that
he could not at this time make any
commitments.
1--WE then talked of other matters,
and at the end the President asked me
to have Mr.. Lewis see him during the
afternoon, when he would give him
his commission
The remainder of the letter follows:
He Uewis) went in to the Presi-
dents office and the President had be-
fore him the commission. He took up
his pen and signed it in Lewis pres
ence. He then turned to Lewis and
asked him whether he had that letter.
Lewis then explained that he did not
feel free to furnish the President with
the letter which he requested. Lewis
said that the President was visibly
disturbed and said with a little heat