PAGE FOUR Brewster Between (Editor's Note: Due to the existing relations between Presi dent Tryvian and Congress, Col legian asked Dr. Brewster to re view the situation, its causes and id j rets.) )5y E. WALLACE BREWSTER Associate Professor of Political Science The chief political problem of Ihe day is also our oldest one; 'that is, the relationship between the president and Congress. The framers of our Constitution in tended that members of these two branches of the government should be independent of each other for their election and tenure as well or in the exercise of certain pow ers. The balance between them, •however, was tipped heavily in Tavor of Congress because it was given final legislative and fiscal authority. The main powers grant ed to the president were to veto legislation, ito cajll special ses r.ibns of Congress, and to submit messages to Congress on the state of the- Union. Vetoes could be Overridden and the effect of pres idential anessages at special and tegular sessions would .be whatever the Congress might be .willing to accept. 'ln normal times this distribu tion of powers seems adequate ana presidents during such per iods are usually satisfied to sit back and allow the legislators such little initiative as circum filances require. 'However, when domestic and foreign crises de velop, the arrangement falls dewn and the president assumes the in itiative. We like to explain this by'saying they are “strong” pres idents who are aggressive by na ture and enjoy the wielding of Power. Kfcrong Executives Needed Although qualities of personal leadership cannot be discounted, the fact remains that they . are f.tr-ong because they have to be. And they have to be because of the inability of Congress, as a large collection of individuals lacking effective internal leader ship, to develop a program of ac tion at a time when the people themselves derriaind thnti some thing be done. In our entire his tory the nearest approach to con gressional program was enacted during the reconstruction period •following the Civil War, and this with disastrous results. Unfortunately, the periods of crisis are now longer than so called normal times. In the past 30 years,, we have had either a for eign or domestic emergency for at least 21 of them, and still have so many unsolved critical prob lems hanging over our heads that ho one is even talking of “norm- 11 SKATIM ~ , The Coliseum Skating- Rink : ' One Half Mile Out On The Bellefonie Road S- J t;\ (Under New Management t; Sfcatmsr From 8 p. m. to 11 p. m. Admission 50c . iftrnday Special - •• 28c i !■ < .Skating Every Night Except Monday and Thursday £ : Matinee Saturday Afiernoons—2-4:30 ----39 c ‘l : Private Parties Are Booked For Monday and Thursday Nights 3 ‘ Reviews Relations President / Congress R, WALLACE BREWSTER * # st* alcy” within the foreseeable fu ture. As a result of the inability of Congress to develop an inde pendent program, there has been a marked trend toward sustained executive leadership ' which will continue if the American public persists in its demand* that the na tional government find solutions to our national and group prob lems. * Crises Bring Revisions A prolonged continuation of these emergency situations will put our basic principle of separation of powers to a severe test; it is al ready showing signs of drastic revision. We cannot continue to demand certain ends without con ceding the changes ,in our politi cal institutions needed to provide the means of realizing- them. Ev ery sign points to the conclusion that ends and means are now bad ly out of balance. If they become too widely separated, a political cr ioi s will result. The difficulty is that a presi dent’s ability to get his program adopted rests primarily upon in formal circumstances such aS The pressure of events and the force of his personality. Except when times are extremely critical or when people have not become tired of emergencies, he is never sure that he can achieve his ob jectives even in part nor can he depend upon Congress to enact an independent program. When Congress finally balks after ca jolery, or threats of reprisals have failed, the president has no pro cedural recourse; all he can do is THE COLLEGIAN appeal to the people which at best is an admission of desperat ion fraught with dangers of congres sional revenge. Truman and Congress President Truman’s • experience is illuminating. Despite his inti mate and friendly relationship for many years with members of both houses and his - determina tion to deal with his old acquaint ances in a conciliatory and coop erative spirit, he has failed thus far to achieve .more than a frag ment of his domestic policy. It indicates that as things now stahd, the opposition of Congress rests not upon personal animosities, as has so often been assumed in the past, but rather upon the inability of the president to force a coarse of action which the dominant con gressional bloc opposes. Proposed Changes Many proposals have been made to bring the two branches of gov ernment into a better legal rela tionship which would place them in a position somewhat analogous to that of a board of directors and the general manager of a corpora tion. The most extreme of these would give the president power, in case of a deadlock, to dissolve Congress and call for an election, as is done under a parliamentary system. Some would give the cab inet heads non-voting seats in Congress while others would re quire that they' be chosen from congressional membership. Some of these reforms would help, but no drastic change can be expected for a long time. Over and above them all stands the im mediate need, on the part of both the public and the government, to develop a more constructive atti tude toward the relationship be tween the executive and legisla tive branches. We will have to accept the view that the time has come to expect the president to assume chief responsibility for formulating a program /of action, presumably approved by the peo ple when . they elected him. At the same time, great strides toward bridging the gap .will be made if we take the attitude that the proper function of Congress is to see that no enactments are made which - deviate from the pledged program and that the ex ecutive properly administers the laws. We cannot continue to casti gate Congress for doing nothing when it fails to enact a presiden tial ' program and then criticize it as being a rubber stamp when it does. Calendar TODAY WRA Executive Board meeting, WRA Lounge, White Hall, 6:30 p. m. WSGA Senate meeting, -WSGA Room, White Hall, -6:45 p.m. Treble Singers, 117 Carnegie Hall, 7 p.m. Campus and Key cliques meet ing, 121 Sparks, 7 p.m. Glee Club, 204 Carnegie Hall, 7:15 p.m. Penn State Club meeting, 32il Old Main, 7:30 p.m. Collegian candidates, first se mester, 8 Carnegie Hall, 8 p.m. Second semester Collegian can didates, 8 Carnegie Hall, 8:30 p.m. TOMORROW Staff Assistants Corps of Red Cross, 3 White Hall, 6:45 p.m. Blue Band rehearsal, 117 Car negie Hall, 7 p.m. Movie Forum, Dr. Coutu, speaker, Hillel Foundation, 7:30 p.m. Basketball game with the Uni versity of .West Virginia, Recrea tion Hall, 8 p.m. IMA meeting, 401 Old Main, ‘7 o'clock. THURSDAY . Theta Sigma Phi meeting, Theta house, 6:30 p.m. Lakonides, WRA Lounge, White Hall, 6:30 p.m. Choir, 117 Carnegie Hall, 7 p.m. Collegian Business Staff meet ing, 8 Carnegie Hall, 7 p.m. PSCA Upperclass Club, film “Partners in Production,” .364 Old Main, 7 p.m. Dairy Science Club meeting, elections, 117 Dairy, 7:30 p.m. Cosmopolitan Club meeting, Dr. Dengler’s home, 210 S. Gill street, 8 p.m. Russian Club Choir practice, 200 Carnegie Hall, 8 p.m. Russian Club Choir practice, p.m,. > . Outing Club meeting,- 8 White 'lke' Gilbert (Continued /row. nnae one' their "E” bond quota. A total of 104 per cent in “E” bonds and 156 per cent in other types were sold during the last five cam paigns. Mr. Gilbert said that stea dily through the fourth to eighth bond drives, regardless of what the quota was, the State College district increased in each drive the amount subscribed from $515,600 in the 4th to $1,043,000 in the Bth drive. Boalsburg, Lemont, Port Ma tilda, Pine Grove Mills, and State College constituted Mr. Gilbert’s area. The county’s quota was as signed by the State chairman, then divided into nine districts. State College, was given one fourth of the quota every drive. Approximately $25,000,000 was subscribed in Centre County dur ing all bond drives. $7,000,000 was credited to the State College area. “The Victory loan results really surprised us!” Mr. Gilbert contin ued. “The war was over,-and a let down, was expected. It was the first drive that we were over, the top in the three divisions of-bonds (E, corporation, individual) on the day : the drive officially clos ed. Noted For Organization “This county is regarded as hav ing one of the best organized groups in the state,” said Mr. Gil bert. “Unique in the -set up” he said “was the Agricultural' Town ship Committee whose sole pur pose was t° contact farmers and those living in rural areas." The various campaigns were run (by the women’s block leader system, a large -organization un der the auspices of the Civilian Defense Committee. They made a house-to-house campaign' of the town during every drive. Mrs. E. M. Grove was captain of 14 divis ion lieutenants and 125 other workers. DANCE TO Pat Patterson and his Collegians (FORMERLY THE X~GX‘s) *'- ~ • • NOW READY FOR BOOKING. ! CONTACT AC MOGULL—3922 TO P S TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 15,' 1946, CLASSIFIED SECTIONS WANTED—A ride to Pittsburgh, Altoona, or Tyrone Friday af ternoon, January 18th. Call 4951. Ask for Shirley, Suite 3. WANTED—Students interested ih being tutored in chemistry 1, 2, 20, 21, 44. Apply to Alan Siwotes 4953. FOR S'AfDE Bonaficte (French perfume by multiple amounts of Vs oz. Includes Caron’s “Xmas Nite,” Schiaparelli’s, Bicharay, and Lucien Belong. Call at 306 New Physics Building, Wednes day or Saturday from .1-3 p.m., January 16 and ilSth. LOST —French text: book Nou velle Anthologie Francaise. Lost downtown probably ih Corner Room,. Please call Marty 436 Ath. LOST —Black and silver Water man’s lady’s pen.. Reward. Call Room 16, 3993. TWO STUDENTS to sell nation ally known merchandise. Good income, spare time. Write Real Silk Hosiery IMills, Harrisblurg, Pa. LOST—Sheaff er’s pen, maroon mottled in black. Please, call 3446. WANTED—A bass fiddle player, trombone player,' sax. player, trumpet player, piano player and drummer to fill in for dance en gagements. Call 4394 beteen 5-8. WANTED —Dependable girl. Good wages. House work several after noons each week helping faculty member. Mrs. H. L. Krall. Tele/ phone 891 after 5 p.m. i It’s iun... A WINTER PICNIC j • Hot Dogs • Hamburgers • Steaks Everything In Meals COOK’S MARKET
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers