Evening star., 1932-08-02
SENATOR CONNALLY
DEFENDS CONGRESS
Forum Speaker Declares
Legislative Branch Prevents
Executive Usurpation.

1.-THE power which Congress exer-
cises is the peoples power and it must
be preserved inviolate from the en-
croachment of the executive" Senator
Tom Connally, Democrat. of Texas, de-
clared in defending the legislative
branch last night in the National Ra-
dio Forum arranged by The Evening
Star and broadcast over coast-to-
coast network of the National Broad
casting Co.
Avoiding partisan politics in his dis
cussion of Congress and its functions,
the Texas Senator said he was speaking
of neither Republican nor a Demo-
cratic Congress, but simply of that body
as an agency and servant of the people.
IF free government is not to func-
ton through Congress, what is the
altsrnative?" he asked. There Is no
other alternative except executive
despctism or bureaucratic tyranny.
They may supply the speed and the
positive action which some demand.
However, the story of the long and
desperate struggle toward free insti-
tutions furnishes example after example
of executive usurpation and administra-
tive autocracy"
Congress is usually at disadvantage
in any serious controversy with the
President, Senator Connally declared,
because Congress is intangible and has
no personal spokesman However, in
the long run it has successfully sur
vivad such conflicts to serve the people
q The United States and to hold in
check executive usurpation," he added.
Defends Investigations.
Senator Connally particularly de-
fcnded Congress against critics OF its
repeated Investigations. Without such
initiative by Congress, he said, the
revelations of the Teapot Dome case,
",he disgraceful conduct of the De-
portment of Justice" and the sale by
International bankers of billions Of dol
Lars of foreign securities to credulous
purchasers" would never have been
brought to light. Congress alone
sc-ved the public interest" he said.
There is frequent criticism OF Con-
gress that its action is not as hasty as
fhe impatient demand, the Texas Sen
a.or added. 1T must be remembered,
h said, that deliberation and debate
are designed to prevent incorporate
end ill-considered action. Important
legislation that finally affects every cit
ircn must be scrutinized and examined
with care before it is written into law.
The plea of efficiency and the plea OF
srcedy action are arguments which
have been made in behalf of every
despotism that ever cursed the earth"
Text of Speech.
Senator Connally's speech follows:
I have been requested to speak on the
Congress of the United States. 1t IS
CONGRESS as an institution that shall
discuss
There has Just adjourned one of the
most remarkable sessions OF Congress
that has convened in SO years. More
intricate and challenging issues we're
presented, the demands upon the phy-
sical strength and endurance of the
membership were more arduouS, and
the mass Of mail and departmental
work was of greater volume than at any
time within the memory Of men now
serving in Congress
And what is Congress? 1t consists OF
both the House of Representatives, OF
ABS members, and the Senate, with
membership of SO. Why the Congress?
The Constitution of the United States
provides for the Congress and ordalns 1t
and vests it in the name of the people,
with all the legislative power of the
Federal Government.
Represent All Glasses.
The fundamental theory OF congress
sional government lies in the repre-
sentative principle. In modern times
the pure democracy OF the ancient
Greek city states is wholly impractical
bic. All of the people cannot be as
sembled to enact their own laws or
ordinances Under the representative
system the people at the ballot box
choose agents or representatives to act
fer them. not alone to enact laws but
to control taxation and to grant appro-
p~iations and govern expenditures.
Members of Congress and Senators
come from every part of the Republic.
Every shade of public opinion and every
element of our citizenship have an op-
pcrtunity to participate in their selec-
tion They represent cross-section of
the people of the United States. A car
dinal principle underlying congressional
government is that it provides forum
fo= deliberation and debate on all pub