The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-03-31

ing the militia, and for governing such
part of them ny may be employed in
the service of the United States
It will thus be seen that the bulk Of
the power in matters warlike is conEti-
tutionally reserved for the congress,
and the president is designated to ex-
ecute the laws and regulations which
must be made by congress. OF course,
when war is in progress, and the con-
gress has made declarations and pro-
visions, all power for the execution of
the laws must rest with the president,
because he is the chief executive off,
Ger of the republic. But the people
ought not to suppose, nor imagine, that
the president of the United States is in
any sense Of the word dictator. He is,
after all, the servant of the people,;
their august representative of power.
Believing that it was wise in time of
peace to prepare for war, the congress
during the past two years has appropri-
ated $2O,DOO,O0O for seacoast defenses
alone. The congress appropriatcs
money, but the congress cannot ex-
pend the money. Under the direction
of the president all moneys are ex-
pended. 1t was the president, through
the secretary of war, who expended
$2O,000,0OO for coast defenses. These
defenses consist not only of fortifca-
tions and big guns and ammunition,
but also of submarine defenses, such
as hidden torpedoes and explosive
mines, which would wreck the largest
and strongest battleships afloat.
The congress has appropriated many
millions of dollars during the past is
years for the purpose of providing and
maintaining navy, as the constitution
requires. All of those millions were
expended by the president, through the
secretary of the navy. And now this
republic has navy which equals the
navy of any country with which we
might become engaged in hostilities.
1t will be observed that the congress
has the power Ito provide for calling
forth the militia" Although the con-
gress has ITO provide" for calling forth
the militia, it rests with the president
to call upon the militia, after the con.
gress has made provision for them. In
the event of war our country will de-
pend upon the militia to fill the ranks
of the infantry and cavalry regiments,
and our regular army will be largely
distributed into the artillery branch Of
the service. The president will call
upon the governors of the various
states and the governors will call out
their militia, and they will be sworn
into the service of the United States
for term of months or years, as the
case may be. We have also a naval
militia. which will hasten to swell the
forces upon our battleships and
cruisers.
All of these things are provided for in
the constitution, and the powers of the
congress and of the president are clear.
ly defined, so that there need be no mis-.
take concerning those powers and
duties.
During the past two years there has
been considerable talk of war through.
out the country, and particularly in
Washington; but during the past two
months the war feeling has been deep
intense and almost uncomfortable. Be.
cause of the excited and ignorant ut.
terances of a member of congress it was
deemed advisable to write this letter.
But it must be understood that
large majority of our representatives