Nogales international., 1932-03-23
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FaUorite ALibi OF Apologists

The favorite alibi Of the apoogists of the Ad-
inisration for the two-milion-dollar deficit that
has resulted from dozen years OF absolute Repupll-
can domination over the Governments expenditures
and receipts IS that wicked Congresses have run over
wise and economical Notwithstanding Coolidge
and Hoover-and that therefore in some mysterious
way the White House is absolved from blame
Theoretically the President is the leader of his
party and when the Presidency has been held by
strong men there has been difficulty III MS lay
ing down the party policies and directing legislation
as long as Congressional naOrltles were OF his pollt
ical faith Cleveland, Roosevelt and Wilson all had
nsurgecies to deal with but in the main, they pre-
vailed in whatever strife arose between them and
their party associates in Congress.
The country is always inclined to give the Presi-
dent the benefit Of the doubt IN any controversy he
has with Congress and the Presidents power, if he
has the courage to exercise IS greater even than
a CONSTITUENCIES demand for chance to dip in the
pork barrel In other words, President is Well-lngh
onnipotent Gove1nmentally when he is in the right
and the Congressman are II the wrong.
In any event it is a strange excuse for deplor-
able treasury situation that Republican Congresses
have so bulled Republican Presidents that provl-
dent White House has been poweress before spend
thrift Capitol
Of course, this is pure nonsense The Presidents
named bowed to the same influences which moved
their political brothers in Congress to spend lavshy
Even where they ;nterposel vetoes it was with the
minimum Of strenuousness nearly alWays-and when
has of them failed TO ndorse the general trend of
Republican Congress and to seek its reelection?
How much had Congress to do with the enact
ment Of the Farm Relief BILL which resulted IN the
waste Of practically half billion dollars .n polit
zeal gesture? President Hoover hampered by his pre-
election commitments, demanded specific measure
and got it. Nobody expected it would be an adequate
remedy for the agricultural Ills. but the President
had pledged himself to farm legislation and this
tons face ;,
The President was warned by every economist
worthy of that designation that the Smoot-Hawley|
tariff bill would shatter industry and increase unen
ployment, but he signed it nevertheless rather than
antagOnize those who had contributed most to his
campaign fund. The inevitable and foreseen conse-
qences the series of reprsa tariff rates by those
countries against whose products the embargo duties
were ained-Whch in turn brought about the exodus
Of Americas export business to localities under the
new protection Naturally American factories depriv-
ed OF these markets had to shut down run part
time, unemployment increased and the echo was dim
inished incomes and naturally less revenue and so
the deficit about In the first place the President
could have averted the advent Of the deplOrable Gru
dy scales by expression Of distaste for them
in the second place, after missing that easy opport-
ity, he could have saved the cOunt1ys business by
veto which would have been sustained by the Demo
Gratis, for the tariff bill effected by the
est OF margins. Still the Administration disclans all
responsibility for the Treasury being "n the red"
and tries to make the country believe that it was all
the fault Of wasteful selfish Congressman.
Not without significance is the latest sequel,
where a Congress dominated by the Democrats has
cut off $114,0O0OOO from the recent budget sent in
by the President, which, with automatic reductions
due to homecoming items has already decreased the
general appropriations more than $450OOOOOO
Yet we may anticipate that when campaign time
comes along the Hydes and Hurleys and Jahnckes of
the Administration will be pointing to the record as
another example Of Administration economy.