Evening star., 1946-11-08
Way to Cooperation
Opened for Truman
President May Win New Respect
by Cautious Use of Veto
By David Laurence


by Cautious Use of Veto
By David Laurence
President Truman need not name
Republican Secretary of State and
resign to such successor in order to
comply with the will Of the people In
Tuesdays election. He can respect the
peoples wishes more readily by observ-
ing the desires Of majority Of both
houses of Congress and by refraining
from an arbitrary or capricious use of
the veto. ~,
This correspondent advocated after
the 1882 election that Herbert Hoover
name Franklin D. Roosevelt as Secre-
tary of State and then both President
Hoover and Vice President Curtis re-
sign so that Mr.. Roosevelt would take
the Office of President. But that was
after the people in constitutional cleo
ton had chosen their President-elect.
The present situation is altogether diff
ferent The Republicans have won
control Of both houses of Congress, but
no individual has been selected as
leader of the Republican Party, and it
would be unwise, In the absence of
specific machinery provided by the
Constitution, to attempt to delegate
the process of selection to any political
group-and least of all to the head of
the party defeated at the polls.
The suggestion made by Senator Full
bright, Democrat, of Arkansas is logical
If it is embodied in a constitutional
amendment, which he says he will intro
duce, but such an amendment should
provide for the selection of President
of the United States by the people or by
their elected representatives in Congress
in much the same way as is done when
a deadlock occurs in the electoral coll
lege.
Two-Year Election Urged.
The American people would benefit II
they could make complete change in
the executive and legislative branches of
the Government at the same time, but
this can be accomplished by providing
that the presidential term should last
two years and that reelection should
be permitted at least three times so
that President would not serve beyond
the customary eight years.
There is no reason why a President
should not go before the people once
every two years. Under the par
liamentary system in Canada and else
where, the executive can be tested by
vote of confidence at almost any time
This has not led to frequent elections in
Canada or Britain because, if an execu-
tive sees the handwriting on the wall,
he bows to the public will or resigns and
allows the legislative body to pick an
other executive.
But the American system can be
made to work by custom rather than
constitutional change if party bitter
ness and self1shness can be erased from
public life. Thus President Truman
should examine every piece of legisla-
tion with disinterestedness and decide
whether he should veto it not merely
on the basis that it might be politi-
cally advantageous to him but because
it really is in his judgment not in
accordance with the will of the people.
Mr.. Truman knows as well as any,
body else what the people said by their
votes. There need be no deadlock or
stalemate in government. Persons who
are predicting cleavage are perhaps as
Stunning that Mr.. Truman is going to
play the role of an arbitrary-mind
politician rather than a statesman.
Can Win denomination.
AS a matter of fact, the President
can win denomination by being broad
gagged and fair minded in dealing with
the Congress Of opposite political COM
plexion. The way to cooperation has
been opened on matters of foreign
policy. There can be similar co-opera-
ton on matters of postwar reconversion
and even on labor policy.
Indeed, the American people could
be treated to an unprecedented exam
pie of cooperation which would i'm
press not only this country but the
whole world. 1t can be done. But it
will not be done if partisanship is given
full sway and if each branch of the
Government feels it must fight with
the other. Instead of emphasizing
stalemates and deadlocks, the emphaL
sis should be on ways and means of
bringing cooperation. It has been
done In wartime and it can be done
in peacetime.
The Constitution protects the people
against some of the i'll effects of a
veto by providing that a measure can
become law when passed by two
thirds of both houses. Since neither
party controls two-thirds of the legis-
lative body it behooves the President
to use his veto only in rare instances
and to sign or allow to become law
after 10 days those measures which
really represent the Republican inter-
probation of the national mandate
given at the polls this week.
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