The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-04
BIGGEST DESPOT ON EARTH
L. What Connecticut's Chief Justice Says OF
the President.


Marin Spring. Ga, July 3.-The unique
| and sensational view that the president OF
the United States is the greatest despot on
earth and the entire governmental system
OF this country modified from of depotism
has been advanced here by Judge Simeon
| f. Baldwin, chief justice of the state of
| Connecticut, and ex-presldent of the Ameri-
can Bar association. He IS the guest Of
| the Georgia Bar associa ton during its an.
nuai session here, and his address was the
means OF injecting big sensation into the
| assembly Of the state and the South's most
| distinguished barriers He said:
VI the great nations of the world, two
only in our time represent the principle OF
| political absolutism and enforce it by one
mans hand. They are Russia and the
United states. The car Of Russia, indeed.
stands for Russia in a broader sense than
mat IN which We can say the president Of
the United States stands for them. The
people OF the United States have not put all
their power in the keeping of all orany of
tnelr temporary rulers. They are the sleep
ing giant that. sleeping or walking, is the
giant still. Their word is still the ultimate
rule OF conduct, their written word, but
when they gave their assent to the legisla-
ture Of the United States they created in 1t
the Office Of king without name"
Proceeding TO confirm and support his
claim of the existence OF a modified depot
ism, Judge Baldwin related the plenary
powers OF the executive. endowing him
with the despotic quality. as follows:
First. That presidents power in remov-
ing from Office: second, his power to receive
or refuse to receive ministers from foreign
countries; third, his power to call the mill
tia out in the different states of the Union
fourth, his power 10 determine when Il is
proper to call out the militia He like
wise declared that the power welded by the
executive in war periods was necessarily,
under our legislature, unlimited and that
his command Of the forces on land and sea
knew no restraint nor restriction. Follow
Ing mp this line OF argument he said that
the proclamation Of emancipation was an
ultra imperial decree. and that the Monroe
act was 1.-THE single act of an executive"
Judge Baldwin was former instructor
at the male law school and is one OF the
most erudte of American jurists. Just
what effect his address will produce is Diff
fcult at this time to forecast. His views
are very radical and his speech throughout
was marked by an earnestness OF manner
and intonation which left no doubt as to his
ne Sdiu tildt H6 Ql1 NOT WISH 10
be understood as holding that the govern
ment of this country was absolutely des-
potic, but that 1t was sort of modified
legislative depotism IN reserve and in divi-
SION"
Furthermore. he asserted that he was not
distinguished in his opinions from many
other eminent jurists OF this country and
that such views were universally held, but
seldom expressed. Such opinions are novel
in this section of the country. and the ad-
dress was the subject of excited discussion
at the hotels of the different members OF
the bar association tonight. Judge Bald
win is receiving congratulations this even
ing on what is pronounce by some of fine
most prominent jurists in Georgia the
strongest and most incisive address ever
delivered in the state on this topic" Opin-
ions pro and con vary widely.