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The Commoner.
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VOBUMB' 13,- NUMBER 1T
fCUKRGNT "OPICS'7
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IT has boon said of Prcsldont Wilson's revival
of Washingon's and Adams' practico of
addressing congress in person that President
Jofforson abandoned it as an "Imitation of
royalty's progress." Referring to this claim, tho
Now York World says: No ovidenco whatever
oxiBts to support any such assertion. Jefferson,
as an lndifforent public spoakor, doubtless pre
ferred the writton message to tho spoken ad
droBS. What ho objocted to, however, was not
tho spoken address but tho practico which had
grown up of a congressional reply to tho address
that had become tho subjoct of prolonged
wrangling to no other effect than delay In tho
real work of congress. Thus ho said in a letter
of Docombor, 1801, to tho prcsldont of tho
sonato: "Tho circumstances under which wo
And ourselvos placed rondoring inconvenient tho
mode heretofore practiced of making by per
sonal address tho first communications between
tho legislative and executive branches, I have
adopted that by message, as used (heretofore)
on all subsequent occasions through tho ses
sion. In doing this I havo had principal regard
to tho convenience of tho legislature, to the
economy of their time, to thoir relief from tho
ombarrassmont of immediate answers and to tho
bonofits thence resulting to the public affairs."
Soon after this ho wroto to Dr. Benjamin Rush:
By sending a messago instead of making a
Bpooch, T havo prevented tho bloody conflict to
which tho making an answer would have com
mitted thorn (tho two branches of congress.)
I hoy consequently were ablo to set into real
business at once without losing ten or twelve
days in combating an answer." That was all
Ho ovidontly never dreamed that in tho dif
ference botwoen a spoken apd a writton com
munication to congress thoro lurked tho dif
foronco between royalty and democracy. He
wanted from congress an answer In deeds, not
words, and fought to help congress in getting
It. So President Wilson says tho only answer
no wants to his spoken address is a "legisla
tive" one.
& Jt S
0Ea !, tho Ranges brought about by tho
adoption of tho amendment providing for
fWdiueC le,Cti0n of Unitod States senators is
that it deprives governors of states of tho
5EEP ? aiPP? w Benaitors in case of vacancy
when tho legislature is not in session. The
fhnh,2M(Va,) Times-Dispatch says: Unless
nlfg f1??6 exprGssly empowers the governor
to appoint, ho can do nothing in such a contin
gency. The Columbia State, in making this very
Interesting point cites the following clS
of tho amendment: "When vacancies happen
In the representation of any state in tho senate,
SSfS nfUtIT a,uthority of such state shall issue
T.r,Its, 1 loction t0 flU such vacancies, pro
vided that the legislature of any state mav
empower the executive thereof to make tem
porary appointments until the people fill the
vacancies by election as the legislature ma?
direct." Under the constitution, before u was
amended, the governor had tho power to fin a
vacancy In the senate by appointment unti the
legislature mot. Hereafter it is made manda
tory upon the governor to order a popular elec
tion unless ho is authorized by legislative act to
mako temporary appointments. For instance if
one of the Virginia senators wore to res?gn' at
this time, Governor Mann would have to order
an election unless he convened the general j as
sembly in special session so that it could pass
w,iCoMenabinS him t0 appoint wHUout such
legislation, the governor can in no case Appoint!
. & 0
TN a statement outlining tho reasons for the
X recall of Henry Janes ns nn ni.hifwn - ; uo
Ecuadorean dispute, Secretary of State Brvnn
said that this action was taken because the state
department thought Mr. Janes' previous di
ing with Ecuadorean affairs while a state de ar '
ment official disqualified him to act as am "
ber of tho arbitral tribunal. Up to the iZ J
Mr. Janes' appointment last December as !
her of tho tribunal which was tc ? adw T"
claims pending between the Cadoreanovp
ment and the Guayaquil and Quito ?ailwav h"
had, as assistant chief of the division o Latin
American affairs of tho state department, been
familiar with tho controversy, which had come
before him in one way and another from the
time of its origin. Later, discussing the Janes
incident with tho newspaper men, President Wil
son made it clear that whenever the present ad
ministration was requested by a foreign gov
ernment to mediate a dispute, every effort would
bo made to secure persons who would be
detached from any business or other affilia
tions with tho caso in point. One feature of tho
arrangement under which Mr. Janes went to
Ecuador was that tho railroad was to pay his
expenses. This met with the disapproval of the
administration, and it was the arrangement,
rather than tho person involved, which impelled
the government to withdraw Mr. Janes and ap
proach a mediation of the dispute under a dif
ferent basis.
& & &
pEFERRING to tho Bryan-Clark dinner, a
XX news report in tho Washington (D. C.)
Post said: Secretary Bryan's statement gives
the mpression that he had talked with Speaker
Clark about their differences. In saying "I have
tried to make it clear to Mr. Clark that I have
always regarded, and do now regard, him as a
good, clean, progressive democrat" Col. Bryan
did not mean to convey that he and the speaker
had discussed the causes of the quarrel. His
nlen,nC,e KaS t0 thIngs he had sal to other
people to bo conveyed to Mr. Clark. But the
speaker had refused to accept these olive
branches. There were no speeches at the lun
cheon, no reference was made during its pro
gress by any one pointing to tho making up of
Bryan and Clark. Nearly the whole time was
spent in story telling. Vice President Marshall
Senator Kern, Senator O'Gorman, and Secretary
bv MUrVnHm08V0.f ?e ys,'and those Sd
was 3-30 So?8?' ?G eJeatest lauSfcter. It
L d-30jfO clock in the afternoon before the
the Srfnr6 The Party had at around
tne table for two hours. To both Pol to
and Mr. Clark it was explained that a luncheoS
should be given to which the secretary of state
and the speaker would be invitedand that tho
?oftn7M J brJ?g fhem Aether on a friend
footing again. Great tact was necessary to o
tain tho consent of both nartieH to KT JZS
tion put forward, but ithldhSSnmLSSi
So CoA B?yan and Mr- Clark and the invltat
tions to the luncheon were issued. Vice PreaT
dent Marshall who attended the luncheon Zt
friends. Their reconc Illation wm lead
harmonious nartv vMnn n7 i T to more
thing, not ony for the narS ? hV b!, a g0?d
try If I mri iiim Sr iP rtyt but for tho coun
iindiana? w" f tefjg9 ot boys out
senat? said- tt Korni party le a the
fng these ?wo b E meUSf Wflcatln eee"
breaking race for the n2S n the heart
promlnenco to the 5e?uS ?j? UnleSS he gIves
found Champ Clark and' Wimam j Whch
ing the breach between them Tho? Clos"
ment between these leader wi if i estranse
tho unforeseen working ? of J tit 'PWon in
during which speeches wi- miU?nl5i 8irnsele,
which were iXrproted bv fl hy ?Ir Bryaii
fleeting serious y unon m n 1c,ountry as re-
tegrity! Mr? Clark ?md JSefiSd I V?"1??111 in"
of the convention, aSd Mr eBrvaTi01lty 7t0
him and now regards him as a "good, clem
progressive democrat" was met with fine anirf
by Speaker Clark, although he was free to sav
that he still felt a sense of loss that could not
be effaced. The restoration of good relations be
tween the two men followed naturally upon tho
reaching of a mutual understanding. The coun
try loves a good loser, as was shown in the caso
of President Taft. It will applaud the magna
nimity of Champ Clark, and will welcome the be
ginning of harmonious relations between the
speaker and the secretary of state, upon which
so much depends in advancing the success of
the administration. The democratic party is
the gainer by the effacement of bitterness be
tween Messrs. Clark and Bryan, and their de
termination to submerge personal differences not
Qnly marks ,them as truly great leaders, but
brings out in most favorable colors the attrac
tive personal qualities of both men.
v O w
A WRITER in the Richmond (Va.) Times
Dispatch says: Preparations are now being
made in Europe for tho next international Peace
conference at The Hague, which taltes place two
years hence that is to say, in the summer of
1915. Preliminary meetings have already been
held in Paris, Rome and St. Petersburg, as well
as in London, for the purpose of formulating
proposals for consideration at the conference
through the respective governments taking part
therein. Those in London have been presided
over by Lord Loreburn, who was lord high
chancellor until a year ago, and attended by
Lord Avebury, the banker, formerly known as
Sir John Lubbock; Sir Earnest Satow, for so
many years British envoy at Peking and Tokio,
and Sir John Macdonald, master of the supreme
court for Great Britain for the last quarter of a
century, and one of the leading authorities in
England on international and mercantile law.
Lord Ldreburn's conference appointed two sub
committees one to deal with all matters relat
ing to naval warfare, Including the abolition of
the right of private capture at sea, blockade and
contraband, while the other committee will con
sider all questions outside thoso affecting naval
warfare.
& & &
AT the memorial meeting held in New Haven,
former President Taft paid the following
tribute to the late Major Archibald W. Butt, one
of thfe heroes of the Titanic disaster: "He was
Incapable of intrigue. He had a clear sense of
humor, and it lightened his life and the lives
of those about him. He was single-minded and
loyal, and never had any doubt about what he
ought to say. Life was not for him a troubled
Problem. He was a soldier. I very much doubt
whether I have ever known a man who had as
much self-abnegation, as much self-sacrifice, as
much ability to put himself in the place of an
other and suffer and enjoy with that other
as Archie Butt had. Occasions for tests
like that of the going down of tho Titanic fre
quently develop unforeseen and unexpected
traits in men and make them heroes, but with
Archie, what he did was nothing but conformity
2 arpule. f his life Ho was on tfle deck of
Vanlc exactly, what he was everywhere else,
, ii J could have selected a time to die he
would have taken the one that God gave him.
S?f 0Uw,h0Ttaken !t because he would havo
fv w lieJei beore th0 worId he was exempli
tjlng the iddal of self-sacrifice. He left with us
the sweet flavor of his unselfish life, and while
we mourn for him wo felicitate him on the way
ne went. His heroism will stand as an example
for future generations."
& & &
WILLIAM GORHAM, of Albany, N. Y., has
inJi f tten Q the New York Worll the fol
lSv nere8"nS letter: I have had occasion
lllfohl t0f rQad aj?aln somo of the letters and
Sri ?B Samuel J- Tilden, and it is of in
T.rnrfi80ei l0W .the basic Problem of today was
Alhniiv m hI? mind' He said' 1n a speech at
m ' arCl H' 1868: "These taxes, when
wl? S- impprto In the manner in which they
Z ? in tho congressional carnival of
Stotu(rers which framed our present tariff,
cause a misapplication of industry that charges
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