The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-08
BACON'S POSITION
WHY HE OPPOSES BILL TO PRO-
TECT THE PRESIDENT.
ALL MEN EQUAL BEFORE LAW.
WOULD BE AN EXTENSION OF LAW
OF TREASON.

The Georgian Makes an Able Com
stitutiOnaI Argument, Citing
Many AuthOrities-Remed for an
Attack ON the President Should he
Same as for an Attack ON an In
dividual-Lnw Would Give OPP
portunity to Cypress Men on Ac-
count of Political Opinion and to
MuExJe the Press.
Washington, March 7.-On account
of the indisposition of Mr.. Vest of
Missouri, and Mr.. Mallory of Florida,
who expected to speak to-day upon
the pending ship subsidy bill, that
measure was not considered by the
Senate to-day.
After the diplomatic and consular
appropriation bill had been passed
early in the session, the Senate took
up The measure for the protection of
the President of the United States.
Mr.. Bacon of Georgia continued his
speech, begun yesterday, in opposition
to the bill, making an extended con-
stitutional argument against it.
The Senate agreed to make the bill
the unfinished business at the conclu-
sion of consideration of the ship sub
sidy measure.
Continuing his speech on the bill
for protection { the President, Mr..
Bacon contended that the enactment
be an extension of treason as defined
nv the authorities nI90fP6 V9rI-
Gus writer's on law, and the constitu-
ton in support of his point.
Merely because the crime named in
the pending bill was not designated as
treason did not change it's character.
1t was practically made treason by
the penalty provided and the means
resorted to apply the penalty to the
criminal. He indicated his belief that
such a provision was unconstitutional,
maintaining that treason had been de-
fined in the constitution only after long
and careful debate during which every
possible contingency was considered.
All Are Equal Before the Law.
He argued that the constitution in
tended that each man shall be equal
before the law, and the remedy for an
attack on the President or the killing
of the President should be the same as
/ If the crime were committed against
an Individual.
He denied that Congress had juris-
diction to legislate with reference to
an attack on the sovereignty of the
United States through the person of an
official.
Mr. Bacon declared that the conten-
ton of those who supported the meas
ure was in effect that there was no
differentiation between the crime of
treason and an assault upon the Pres
ident, which threatened the existence of
the government. If that were true,
the assassination of the President
would be treason.
Mr.. Bacon denied the constitution
alfty of any law which shall invade
our institutions, which shall upturn
the recognized procedures of 100 years
and which shall put it in the power of
partisanS either on the bench or else
where Ito Cypress men on account
of political opinion" The bill, if en-
acted, he said, would muzzle the press
and make any editor afraid to express
an opinion as to the President or other
official for fear that thereafter, if any
of these officials should be killed, he
might be tried for murder
He would not, he said, vote for the
bill even if he were the only man in
the Senate and the House Of Repre-
sentatives opposed to it. The only way
to protect the President, vice president
and heads of the departments was to
prevent persons who may have de-
signs on their lives from having the
opportunity.
After an executive session the SEN
ate adjourned until Monday