Show BARRED gARREO BY CONSTITUTION That Taft Tart and Sena Senator Senator tor tar Knox should be willing to attempt the evasion of a plain provision of o the constitution Is somewhat surprising Both have hae attained high rank in the legal profession and are supposed to toU U know the fundamental difference between be between tween right and wrong That Senator Knox is barred from the cabinet by paragraph 2 of ot section 6 in article I of S the constitution there is no doubt The i paragraph In question reads I Io Xo o senator or representative shall dur during during 1 ing in the time for which he was as elected be appointed to any civil office under the authority ot of the United States which shall have been created or the emoluments whereof shall havn hava been increased during I such Ruch time and no person parson larson holding any of office nee flee under the States shall be a aS S member of either althor house during his contin continuance In office The term tenn of Senator Knox does not expire until March 4 1911 so he plain plainly ly comes within the inhibition Logic Legis Legislative action by congress con cannot cure him of Ineligibility and no amount of sophistry will heal hool the wound given the constitution in ease case the present plan is carried out and Senator Knox in is made secretary of or state The funda fundamental fundamental mental law of the country has received some severe jolts JoHa during tho present administration but better things were expected from a men man mt who was thought qualified to occupy a place on the su supreme promo premo bench Violation of or one of the provisions of or the constitution at the outset Is IB not calculated to Inspire the people of the country with any an great amount of confidence In either oither the abil ability ability ability ity or integrity of the only man In the Republican party part fit to be president The amendment to the legislative ex executive and judicial appropriation bill blI b n which has caused the embarrassment to the incoming president pr and the Penn Pennsylvania Pennsylvania sylvania senator sanator I reads as follows 5 That on and after March Marolt 4 c 1997 1907 the compensation of the speaker of ot the house of representatives the vice president of or orthe the States Slates and tho heads of the executive departments who are aro members of ot the cabinet shall Shan be at the rate of of Sl ner or er annum annu each and tile the compensation comp n of senators representatives t Fm s delegates del I t gatt s rom rU the territories t d I p and the resident resl nt commissioner from Porto PortoRico PortoRico PortoRico Rico shall be at the rate of per an annum annum annum num Senator Knox voted for tor the amend amendment amendment amendment ment and the consequent increase in salary without thought that It would operate against him Even if he had voted otherwise his status statu would not have been b e 1 affected since the bin bill passed anyway It Js is recalled that a similar situation developed while Grover Cleveland was president At that timo time it was pro proposed pr proposed posed po d to make Senator Ransom minis minister minister ter to Mexico The comptroller of the treasury pointed out the fact that tho the salary of the man occupying this post had been raised during Mr Ransoms Ransom service In the senate and President Cleveland appointed someone else There was no whipping the devil around the stump In this case Sinco Since time however the constitution constitution constitution seems to have fallen into more or less disrepute S p eo I |