Detroit evening times., 1945-04-02
POLITICAL
PARADE
BY George
RothweI Brown
THE charge that Congress Is
i being undermined by legis-

THE charge that Congress Is
= being undermined by legis-
lation, by sanctions, subsidies,
executive orders, and bureaus
cratic interpretations, goes to
the heart of the problem Of
what 10 do in "streamlining"
the popular branch Of our
national legislature.
1t is made by Rep. Howard
Smith, anti-New Deal Virginia
Democrat.
He declares that the Ameri-
can people do nor realize the
extent to which our government
is being changed by these
innovations.
The accuracy of this observa-
tion is proved by the fact that
the people have elected a sue
cesSion of Democratic Houses
since 1890.
The condition of which Mr..
Smith complains. and of which
he is properly alarmed, will con-
tinue as long as the people
keep the present New Deal
coalition in power in Congress.
THIS coalition is known as
Il the Democratic party"
but it is in reality a con-
glomeration of feuding factions.
held together by the cohesive
power of public patronage.
II is at-War within itsef. The
other day a New Deal northern
Democrat whose democracy is
still wet behind the ears, in
vited a lifelong conservative
southern Democrat to leave the
party, or be kicked out.
This coalition has been in
power too long, and all the
"streamlining" of Congress in
the world cannot overcome this
handicap.
The bureaucracy which this
coalition supports in the admin
istrative branches of the gov
ernment has become arrogant
and contemptuous of the very
Congress itself.
lt-resortS to trickery and de-
ceit in its efforts to perpetuate
itself, and finance itself.
s
nor example. bureaucratic
agency of the government
will appear before a subcom-
mittee of the House appropria-
tions committee and ask for
certain appropriation, which 1t
viii seek to justify.
1t does not inform the sub
committee that secretly il has
been obtaining additional funds,
Intends in the future 10
continue TO receive additional
funds, aliocated to it by execu-
tive direction.
The subcommittee does not
know this, and save through ac-
cidental revelation, has no
means of ascertaining the facts.
This system has become
widespread abuse. 1t springs
directly from the practice of
supine Democratic congresses
surrendering the | e gis lative
functions into the hands of the
executive side of the govern
ment.
This is what Mr.. Smith means
by legislation by sanctions and
by subsidies.
Some fragrant examples of
bureaucratic hoodwinking of
Congress in the manner de-
Scribed have come TO light re-
Gently. and the situation calls
for a thorough expose of them.
VERY bad practice has
"A been growing up in the con-
duct of hearings by the appro-
priations committee. the great
committee which spends the
taxpayers money.
Voluminous reports are printed
Of these hearings. But the COM
mittee permits witnesses 10
alter and correct" their testi-
mony.
They also permit witnesses to
delete from the published hear
ingS whole sections Of testi-
mony. This has become a very
great abuse in recent years, the
war being used as an excuse for
a secrecy that is unjustifiable,
and which leaves the member
ship of the House as a whole
in ignorance Of conditions of
which they should be informed.