Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-08-24
Roosevelt Is Trying
System England Uses
CONTINUED from Page One.)

it continues in power with an assur-
ance of parliamentary backing for a
while. This automatically follows I'M
der the English system. But if the
.erstwhile ministry is beaten, the other
side comes in, executive and legisla-
tive branches both. The whole thing
is settled for the time being.
Here if in our coming election, the
Republicans and anti-New Deal Dem
ocrats hold their congressional own,
we shall continue with more or less
of a deadlock holdover New Deal
administration with a Congress it
can't depend on.
English System Flexible.
The beauty of the English system
is, it is very responsive to the popu-
lar. will-to changes in national SEN
:iment.
There an election can be held any
time and alter the entire setup.
Our system permits elections only
at arbitrarily specified intervals. Be
tween any two of them public opinion
can undergo a complete transforms
ton, but it has to wait until the next
election day to express itself effec-
lively.
Moreover the English executive and
legislative branches are so correlated
that they can't work at cross-pur-
poses with one another for very long.
If Parliament becomes dissatisfied
with an administrators policies it
readily car nullify them by its votes,
which is true as between Congress
and the president, too. But the presi
dent. can't do anything about it in
short order. The English premier can.
He can resign and force an imme
date popular showdown. Either he
wins flatfootedly or he stays out of
office and the other side comes in 100
per cent.
And the premier not only may but
is expected to plug for his brand of
parliamentary candidates in every
constituency in the land, just as the
leader of the opposition party is ex-
pected to plug for his.
British Problem Different.
The English system has it's points.
It's efficient, decisive and it works
fast. It's democratic also.
But it's difficult to adapt it to our
methods or traditions.
They don't mix. England is one
country: A party leader who lives in
southern Cornwall can, with perfect
propriety, Campaign in northern
Northumberland. 1t would be a bit
different for a citizen Of Florida to
boost for senatorial or represen-
tatorial candidate in Oregon. 1t would
be o. k. if we were England.
wilson Tried Idea.
When an English premier decides
that the moment has arrived for
test, he announces that he's "going
to the country, meaning that he is
going to fight in every constituency
in it-personally, if he can make the
:,ounds.
We have had some statesmen who
have admired the English system.
Woodrow. Wilson did. He used that
exact English term ("going to the
country'J just after the World War.
He appealed to the whole United
States for Congress in sympathy
with him. He wasn't quite as per-
sonal about it as "F. D." has been
to James A. Reed, then senator from
anyway-and lost. He didn't get his
kind of a Congress. In England. that
would have ended his administration
forthwith. But not here. He served
out his term.
Would 1t Work Here?
President Roosevelt doesn't employ
the expression going to the country"
That's what it amounts to neverthe-
less.
There isn't anything the matter
with it in principle or in theory.
But does it fit our system here?