Evening star., 1945-02-23
Toft Is Progressive
In Fight on Wallace
Writer Suggests He Propose Limit
On Cabinet Officers Terms
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
A controversy has arisen as to
whether Senator Taft Republican, Of
Ohio is q conservative or a radical.
Senator Taft has been criticized by
some for opposing the confirmation OF
Henry Wallace as Secretary of Com
merce on the ground that he should
have known cabinet officers are usually
confirmed by the Senate and that this
is one of the practices of our constitu-
tional system.
Mr. Taft had pointed out that as re-
Gently as the Coolidge administration a
nominee for Attorney General, Charles
Beecher Warren, was refused confirma-
ton by the Senate because of dissent as
to his qualifications. But, in rebuttal,
it is now argued that the very rareness
OF the exceptions over long period of
time proves the general rule, namely,
that cabinet officers are usually con-
firmed as being part of the Presidents
family of official advisers.
But, 1t may be asked, since when do
those who wish to depart from precedent
In the public interest become conserva-
tives? Isn't it the radical who wants to
make the changes and ignore prece-
dents?
For more than 100 years no President
OF the United States ever sought to
force Supreme Court justices from their
places because of dislike of their de-
cislons or for any other reason, and a
proposal to enlarge that body SO as to
get new majority on the court was
really something unprecedented in
American history.
Mr.. Roosevelt however, wasn't called
a conservative for wanting to ignore the
custom that had grown up whereby the
Chief Executive refrained from inter-
fering with the personnel of the Su-
preme Court. He was called a radical
Radical Is Defined.
Anybody who wants to disturb long
established precedents is a radical and
not conservative. The dictionary de-
fines radical as one who advocates
sweeping changes in laws and methods
OF government" 1t is bit unfortunate
that Senator Taft, therefore, should be
classed as conservative when he is
among the first to recognize the impor-
tance of streamlining the American
system OF government so as to conform
to the will of the people
Mr.. Taft is really progressive in this
controversy. The slogan 'let the people
rule Is in accord with our finest tradi-
tlons. The Ohio Senator, however,
doesn't go far enough. If he feels that
the people should exercise a veto on
cabinet officers, as happens in parlia-
mentary governments abroad he should
insist on an amendment to current law
whereby the term of every cabinet off,
| Ger Is liked for no more than two wears.
| SO that confirmation by the Senate
would be required annually or bienniallv
| Tor reappolntment. This would make
cabinet officers responsive to the will
OF the people through Congress-not as
responsive perhaps as in Canada or
Britain, where the people can at any
time vote to confirm or reject a cabinet
ofncer, but it is good beginning.
| Precedent for Limitation.
/ incidentally, there is plenty of prece-
dent for the fixing of term for cabinet
officers" The term of Postmaster Cen
eral has been fixed by law on four
| year basis ever since 1887 Congress
comes up for confirmation or rejection
! by the people every two years, and it
| would be desirable to have cabinet Off
GERS subjected to the same check.
Those of us who still believe in gov
eminent by the people instead of by
| autocrats or totalitarian- minded off,
clals-the kind of executive officials who
grab every bit of power they can, and
write regulations that are really legisla-
ton and which only Congress should
write, if needed - cannot blame the
President or his aides, but Congress for
laXlty in this age of almost unlimited
delegation of power.
Cabinet posts today are not what they
used to be in the days when cabinet Sec
retarles were advisers on the perfume
tory routine of executive business.
Times have changed and the prece-
dent that commands blind obedience by
the Senate to Presidents cabinet
nomination has outlived its usefulness.
Today the head of Government de-
partment is really a substitute Presi-
dent Congress has delegated vast au-
thorlty and the Senate can only check
on the use OF that power through watch
ing who is up for confirmation.
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