The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-03-10
oehsfses Should cointnaad the
President,

FfoslOohC.
After long consideration and full
debate Congress placed on record II
opinion that the Cuban revolution |
not a riot, but a public war, and tina
the governmental organization ther
which placed armies in the field to-
powerful to be overcome by th,
Spaniards is entitled to what i
known in the international law a
the rights of belligerent. 1t is tru,
that this expression of opinion ha
not yet been put into what, under es
tablished precedents, can be regard
ed as the form Of law. Had tn,
resolution been "joint" instead o
concurrent" IL would have beer
sent to the President, and, If not
approved by him, would have beer
passed over his veto by an over.
whelming vote In both Houses oi
Congress. Whether he would have
considered himself bound to obey
such a law Is not certain. There is
a good deal of loose talk about the
power of the President to decide in
all such cases. But no such power
Is conferred upon him By the con-
stitution, and he derives no official
power from any other source. Sec
tions and 8 of Article . of the con-
stitut;on carefully define his pow
ers and duties, but nowhere is there
the slightest intimation that the
power is lodged with him to decide
what the relations Of this Govern.
ment are with any other nation or
people.
On the other hand, the claim has
been made IN some quarters that
! Congress may exercise the power
in question without the approval
of the President. But Congress
can only exercise its powers by the
passage of laws, and every law re-
quires either the approval of the
President or vote oftwo-thirds OF
both Houses in opposition to the
Presidents disapproval. If the
President has the power to recog-
nize the Cubin insurgents as belig-
erents without any action by Con-
gress shall command him by posi-.
tive law. In such case, however,
only a despot would set himself
against public opinion, made mani
fest to him by the action of Con-
gress, with only six dissenting
votes in the Senate and seventeen
in the House.
And yet he has assumed such an
attitude. He will not issue his
proclamation recognizing the Gu
ban insurgents as belligrrents, and
declaring the neutrality of the
United States. He has not, it is
true, sent message to Congress to
this effect. He never recognizes
that body when he can possibly
avoid 1t. lie is in the habit of ex-
pressing his contempt for the peo-
pies representatives whenever ii
suits his feelings. AT one time he
has Congress on his hands" AT
time he writes to the Gov
ernor OF state that he is surpris-
ed at the neglect by Congress to
obey his will with reference to the
Sherman purchase act. On anoth-
er occasion, in letter to a leading |
of the House of Repre-
which he caused or per.
mitted to be read in the House, he
denounced the Senate, or its ma
jority, as guilty Of acts of perfiIy |
and shame. In December, 1893, in |
his annual message, he informed
both Houses that his tariff bill
would be presented by the House
Committee on Ways and Means.
lie now uses the columns Of the
laily press to inform the public
that he will ignore the Cuban reso.
'utions adopted in Congress, and
hat "the Administration does not
.hink the present stage ofaffairs in
Cuba justifies any change in the
altitude of the Government" He
lenics that there is war in Cuba.
We shall now see whether Con-
sress was in earnest as to its dec
aration on the state of affairs in
cuba. If its resolutions were not
mere buncombe they will be put
nto the form of a joint resolution
md adopted. The President can
hen approve them or veto them.
n the latter case they will be pass
I'd over his head by overwhelming
najorities ifSenatOrs and members
we're in earnest in their former
'otes. Any Senator or member
'ho voted for the concurrent reso- |
ntions, and who would now refuse |
0 vote for joint resolution COM ,
elling the President to do his duty, !
onfesses thereby that he was tri- I
ing with great question for a
NV and unworthy motive, and that