Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-18

rying ont of such programme means.
1t signifies, in the first place, the abb
dication OF Congress from the exercise
of the sovereign powers vested in it by
the constitution, and in the second the
exercise of powers cf absolute sover-
eighty by the President himself The
theory of the so-called war power UNI
der which the President is now acting,
is that the commander in chief OF the
army and navy carries into his own
person the sovereign powers lodged in
the American people, and exercises
them in such manner as he and his adj
visers see fit This Is the despotic
power under which we have entered
upon colonial policy, under which we
have undertaken the subjugation OF
alien peoples, under which we are now
attempting to govern those peoples, and
by virtue OF which the constitution has
been practically altered. Congress, the
tribune Of the people has not been con-
suited in the entire proceeding, except
to do the bidding Of the sovereign Nc
Kinley. The analogy of the power now
exercised by the President of the Unit
ed States to that exercised by the En-
peror of Germany or the Car of Russia
is NO FANCIFUL ONE
1t is the same power precisely 1t is
a dangerous power to be exercised in
time Of peace--a dangerous power to
be exercised at any time. Already has
1t found defenders in the press and on
the platform, who appear to have for
gotten the very principles upon which
the fabric of our institutions rests.
Public sentiment should be directed to
bringing pressure upon Congress to as
sert it's authority to end this auto
cratic exercise of the war power in
time of peace. Sovereignty lodges in
the people, not in President wearing
a military cloak. AS Senator Hoar has
we'll said the people have not depcs-
tied all sovereignty anywhere, and have
authorized no agent of theirs to exer-
else in their behalf all sovereignty, I'M
limited, unchecked and uncontrolled
But the present administration policy
is direct negation of this incontrovert-
ible American principle.
Secretary Gage is bound to make the
financial issue the leading one in the
Presidential campaign. The frantic
calls of Wall street for more money
and the efforts of the treasury to meet
them are practical demonstrations OF
the weak places in our financial sys-
tenn that are not likely to be lost on
the country. They show plainly
enough the need of more money, and
especially the need of some settled
system for the injection into the mon
etary circulation of the blood of com
merce at the times when it is most
needed. Bankers clamor for more
bank notes, and Secretary Gage would
yield to their clamor. But a more ex-
cellent way was pointed out some years
ago by John Sherman, at least as good
a financier as Gage, who clearly fore
saw the doom of the national banking
system so far as its note issues were
concerned, and who declared his belief
that the issue Of a government paper
currency based upon a treasury re-
serve of gold and silver amounting to
about 35 per cent. Of the issue
WOULD MEET THE DEMANDS
of commerce. Such a system would
meet the present emergency, for the
treasury has plenty OF gold, but not
enough paper outstanding against it.
But, says Wall street, the government
should keep out OF the banking bust
ness. But why is the federal govern
ment better fitted for the control of dis
tant colonies than for the control Of its
domestic currency? 1t is a queer logic
mt dc hn orrY ,Qr14 fIr-
nishing domestic money supply when
it is permitted to furnish sovereigns to
people at the other side of the earth.
Wall street will have hard time con-
vincing the people that expansion is
better investment than a national, gov
eminent controlled currency adequate
to the needs of domestic trade. AS to
Secretary Cages latest scheme to re-
lieve Wall street, it has the merit of
substituting a mobile form of currency
for one not so mobile, at excessive cost
to the treasury, so that the wisdom Of it
doubtless entities him to sheer at the
government currency proposed by Sher-
man as wild vagary of populism.
Since the campaign against Aguin-
aldo has been very nearly won with
only 10000 or $4,000 troops in active
service against him, it is evident that
somebody blundered, at large expense
to the public treasury, in calling out
twenty regiments to reinforce Otis.
Otis himself says it is not he, and
points to his repeated reocmmenda-
tions that $4,000 men would be ample
to quell the instruction. Evidently
the great need out there was not more
men but more fighting.