Evening star., 1946-05-05
Capital Sidelights
Bu Will P. Kennedy.

By Will P. Kennedy.
In the shake down" period Of getting
this Government working, the brilliant
Alexander Hamilton, as Washinstons
Secretary of the Treasury, presumed to
act as an English prime minister ana
directed the first legislative program.
Thomas Jefferson placed his own picked
men in key positions and assumed real
presidential leadership. During the
Madison-M Monroe period, from 1909 to
1925, when Congress through the caucus
determined the choice of Presidents, the
executive Office was decidedly subor-
dinated. With the achievement of the
Third American Revolution" President
Andrew jackson held himself to be
Tribune of the People" despite severe
Whig opposition. President John Tyler
held the same view despite determined
efforts by Congress to reassert its powers
and obligations under the Constitution.
President Abraham Lincoln admittedly
violated the Constitution and usurped
the rights of Congress. in the Civil War
emergency, and exercised absolute die
tatorship such as had never been dared
by any other President-but Lincolns
acts were later legalized by Congress.
Following this came the effort by Con-
gress to impeach President Andrew
johnson, which failed Of the requisite
two-thirds vote by the scant margin of
IS to 10 after a three-month trial.
Gen. Grant 1869-1877) failed to assert
himself as President and Congress sue
cessively and successfully discouraged
any efforts by Presidents Hayes, Garfield
and Arthur to assert governmental
leadership. President Grover Cleveland,
on the other hand. was doughty enough
in declaring that: THE presidency is
peculiarly the peoples ONCE" but Con-
gress proved hostile in asserting its
prerogatives, SO that, as the late Am
bassador James Bryce stated in his
mastery work, The American Com.
monwealth," a presidential recommenda-
ton to Congress received as scant con-
sideration as an article in a party
newspaper. The astute politician and
polished political diplomats William
Mckinley was far more successful In
his negotiations with Congress in restor-
ing presidential prestige. And then
came the Rough Rider" spectacular
Theodore Roosevelt. focusing public
opinion on Congress. so that he was
able to put through his progressive
legislation program. Woodrow Wilson
u9l3-192D, professor of politics and
government, contended that the Presi-
dent was a Prime Minister; q parlia-
mentary party chief-and he had with
him the First World War emergency
so he brought the presidency into new
ascendancy by inducing Congress to
approve his program of legislative
measures. President Franklin D. Roose-
welt was successful in following the
Wilson methods during the depression
and Second World War emergencies. But
Congress recently has showed its deter
n1ination not to let any President usurp
its constitutional powers-especially with
regard to tax measures.
Representative George P. Rogers, born
in Canada, with two sons in the military
service, is proud of what his home city of
Rochester, N. Y, is doing to make the
rising generations recognize the source
OF their freedom and their opportuni-
ties. He emphasizes that the elder
generation also Is having its atten-
tion focused on how that liberty under
the Constitution may be slipping from
their grasp. Specifically, Congressman
Rogers explains that for about four
years in Rochester, through the news
papers, by quiz programs for school
children, by handing to returning serv-
ice men and women and to employees Of
large industrial plants copies of The
Constitution of the United States-Its
Sources and Its Applications" and in
various other ways, the gospel of Ameri-
canism is being preached. Community
leaders have banded together to pro-
mote the cause of making all the people
conscious OF their most valuable rights
and privileges and teaching them that
they must be active in preservation of
all that the Constitution guarantees to
a Tree people.
X
In summary of the tremendous costs
OF World War II, Representative Will
liam Lemke OF North Dakota empha-
sizes several facts
1t is seven months, now, since the war
ended; but neither the President nor
Congress officially has declared that it
is ended.
The victorious veterans enlisted for
the duration and six months thereafter
An extra month has elapsed and very
large percentage of those enlisted still
are retained. e.,
Since the surrender Of Germany there
have been $4,000 voluntary enlistments
while more than 100000 have been re-
jected on account OF stringent enlist
ment requirements.