James E. Homans, editor

“ If in the growth of the United States of America the dominion of the Union were to extend southward from California, New Mexico, and Texas to the Isthmus of Darien, there would not be any serious question as to whose would be the right, duty, and obligation to police a canal at Panama or Nicaragua, and to guarantee the neutrality thereof whenever the United States saw fit to be neutral between other belligerent powers engaged in war. ”

“ Belmont, chiefly on the ground that the political responsibilities of the proposed exclusive guarantee on the part of the United States of the neutrality and free use by all maritime powers of an interoceanic highway across the Isthmus, were not sufficiently taken into consideration, strenuously opposed all these projects in the committee and on the floor of the House. He maintained that under such conditions to open a new arm of the sea to the free use of the maritime nations of the world would impose upon us the obligations of a military power of the first rank. ”

“ The promotion of our export trade has come to be a subject of national importance to which the attention of our government is beginning to be directed. But can the promotion of that trade be better accomplished by an international European conference, or by commercial treaties, or by our own domestic legislation, aided when necessary by navigation conventions?” President Cleveland's Inaugural Address contained a declaration similar to Mr. Belmont's resolution, and one of the first acts of Secretary Bayard was the withdrawal from the Senate of the protocols resulting from the Berlin Conference. ”

“ In his message in 1912 President Taft advocated an amendment to the rules that would admit his Cabinet to the debates in Congress and gave cogent reasons for his indorsement of the project. In a striking address before the American Club of Paris, 2 July, 1914, Mr. Belmont opened by saying that “the presence of members of the Cabinet in Congress is not suggested by the parliamentary systems of other governments. Those systems, in their fundamental principles, are so different from ours as to be hardly a safe guide for us. ”

“ Belmont is forceful and aggressive, stubborn in the advocacy of any movement which he is convinced is for the public good, and uncompromising in his advocacy. He is possessed of character, energy, and the ability to convince others. ”

“ Formerly, public sentiment in the United States had been satisfied by corrupt practice acts, designed to affect candidates and operating only at the close of their election campaigns. In 1882 Mr. Belmont secured the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the decline of the American foreign carrying trade. Out of investigation and report of that committee grew the establishment of the standing committee of the House on Merchant Marine. For this service he received the thanks of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York. ”

“ In 1905 the National Campaign Publicity Bill Organization, with Mr. Belmont as permanent president, was formed at Washington, which was the immediate outgrowth of the New York State Publicity Law Organization. Its membership included ex-President Cleveland, former Judge of the Court of Appeals Alton B. Parker, the presidents of almost every university in the country, the governors of most of the States, and many other distinguished men who now continue to be members of the association. ”

“ The amounts required having outgrown all reasonable proportions members of political organizations as well as managers of corporations having knowledge and experience of conditions that have become intolerable and were threatening widespread corruption were the first to welcome a remedy. A measure to supplement the New York Statute of 1890 limiting its requirements to the publication of expenditures of candidates only was accordingly prepared by a legislative committee composed of lawyers and representative men of both the great political parties. ”

“ The suggestion belongs to the development of our own laws and must be discussed within its capacity of adjustment to our American system. We Americans have reached the point when we are asking ourselves do we or do we not want executive supremacy to assert itself with increasing emphasis, and has it gradually developed to such a degree as to require an effort, in order to restore the equilibrium between the executive and legislative departments of the governments. ”

“ The Executive may advocate a policy which Congress opposes and the absence of authorized means of oral communication may prevent the establishment of the harmony of action necessary for the public welfare. ”

“ Belmont has for a number of years taken an active part in the movement to give members of the Presidential Cabinet seats on the floor of both branches of Congress, with the privilege to take part in the discussion of matters which might arise affecting the business of their department and duty to be imposed by Congress to give verbal information in regard to such department affairs. ”

“ Secrecy of party funds still exists as a serious menace to the English party system, under which many instances of the purchase and sale of titles and peerages, carrying with them legislative power, are tolerated. ”

“ The relation of the Executive Department and Congress engaged the attention of the men who formed the Confederate government, and they modeled its constitution and laws upou those of the Federal government. Long experience of the Federal system suggested to them in framing their provisional and permanent constitution as well that to allow the members of the Cabinet seats on the floor of their congress would be an improvement. ”

“ As originally framed, it provided that political campaign committees should not only account for their expenditures and for money received, but should also specify the sources of such contributions and the involved liabilities and expectations; that written and detailed vouchers for all expenditures should be obtained and preserved ”