The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-05-05

maintained iUU per cent tnueptnu-
ent of White House control, and
should continue to audit and ap-
prove payments to be made from
the Treasury before they are made.
In short, Just because lot of voters
approved Mr.. Roosevelt personal
ly, and thought he was making a
fine President, they did not propose
to set up a change in the govern
ment which might make it easier
for some lieutenant or aide 10 get
away with something.
Makes Them Foggy
There is so much of this IN the
mail of so many Democratic rep
resentatives that it is no wonder
they are a bit foggy as to what
the Presidents strength really IS.
1t is a truism, as old as the pick
ing of tribal chieftains, that loyalty
is given to the king-but not to the
kings ministers. 1t is much easier
to understand in the British system,
where the kings ministers may be
kicked out of office overnight, but
the king goes right on undisturbed.
It is not as logical when applied
to the United States form of gov
eminent, for actually the President
/ is responsible for his lieutenants.
Most of them he can fire at will.
Most of his actions, save on the
really big issues, are really decided
by them.
But the loyalty out IN the country
which makes President strong IS
|. not to them. It is to him alone.
Few even of the most rabid partl-
sans of President Roosevelt will ar
que that he has good cabinet.
This is not necessarily common
tary on the caliber OF his official
family. For party leaders of every
party have always deplored the cab
met selections of their Presidents
Their loyalty is to him alone.
And that goes for the individual
cabinet members as well as the
folks who write to their congress
men. There is not member of the
cabinet who does not think he could
vastly improve the administration if
| he could toss half a dozen of his
colleagues out the window and pick
their successors.
Faces a Problem
Robert L. Doughton, chairman of
the house ways and means commit
tee. faces problem in the confer
ences between the house and senate
on the tax bill, which only South
erner can understand. 1t revolves
around the idea of answering 10y
atty to the Democratic party, and
TO whoever is leader of that party
at the moment, regardless of one s
private opinions.
As matter of fact two of Dough
tons Democratic colleagues in the
house from North Carolina are re-
fusing to run for reelection because
of this same problem. They do not
like the New Deal. They disapprove
most of the administration meas
ures, but they regard themselves al
most as soldiers in the line of battle
They do not feel they have any
right to do anything else than what
the general says-especially on any
question which by any remote
stretch of the imagination could be
classified as party issue.
Wild horses could not drag it from
, Doughton in a public statement bu
in private conversations with man,
: friends he has indicated, again ant
; again in the last few months, tina
: he was fed up with the present sit
: uation. He is still seriously consid
t ering not being a candidate for re
: election this fall. Yet just a yea
$ ago Doughton was thinking Of round
: ing out his career with term il
the senate.
/, So that President Roosevelt's spe
! cial letter to Doughton and to Ser
\ ator Pat Harrison, insisting that tn
principle of the tax on undistrih
uted corporation earnings be re
tanned, put the North Carolina vet
!. eran very much on the spot :
Actually the house leaders Wer
afraid, when the senate tax bill wa
brought to the house. that it Nigh
be accepted by reclamation withou
. being sent to conference at all.
: Badly Scared
So frightened were they the
: DoHhton himself appealed to hi
: colleagues personally, saying on tn
= floor that questions and proposal
indicated the house didn't hav
: much faith in its committee,
= ! This is the sort OF appeal til
= house seldom denies, especially (
! a man who has its whole-souled ri
. spect to the degree that Robel
Doughton has. So the bill was ser
:, :, to the conference with no string
y on the house conferees. This was be
). fore the receipt of the Roosevelt
letter demanding that the hous
!, provision, instead Of the senate pre-
y vision ondundistributed earnings, b