Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-02-19

- = - Is -' =
8. JOE BROWN ON THE CONGRESS.
SIGNAL SITUATION.
Editor Bystanders I notice In last
weeks Emancipator. the official Negro
organ OF Capt Hull, an editorial to
the purport that It was to the best In
to retain Capt. ]. A. T. Hull In con-
gress; and. giving as the principal
reason for said statement that the
captain was about to secure a 100000
appropriation for the purpose Of build
Ing levees along the Des Moines and
Raccoon rivers to protect the inhab-
itants OF said districts from floods.
Now I agree with the editor
Of c captain Hull's Negro paper,
that it would indeed be great bene
ut to said citizens II the captain could
In any way secure the proposed APP
preparation and have 1t expended in
the work referred to, but also desire
TO state frankly that such proposal
is as ridiculously absurd as was that
introduced into our city council about
a year ago by some of capt. Hull's
lieutenants. who sought to capture the
Negro vote of the city by introducing
into the council resolution providing
that the city of Des Moines should
appropriate $500 to pay the paving as
sessment against st. Paul's A. M. e.
church, resolution which, although
it passed the council, was worth only
the ink and paper of which it was con
structed, as the trustees OF said
church were promptly informed when
they went to draw their $500 and were
compelled to return and call upon the
members and friends of the church to
go down into their own pockets and
pay the 5000 which Capt. Hull's
friends in the council pretended they
had paid for them.
Now say that the captains $500, 900
river and harbor bill for the benefit
of the inhabitants Of the districts
along the Des Moines and Raccoor
rivers can have no other purpose and
no more force or effect than did the
council resolution just referred to
whose only purpose was to capture
votes and whose effect was absolutely
null. for. the government Of the United
States Is what is known in political
science as government of limited
powers, by which we mean that 1t has
no powers except those given 1t il
the constitution, and in order that
there be no question about this the
constitution of the United States itself
provides in the tenth amendment
thereto that "The powers not delegat-
ed to the United States by the constr
tuition nor prohibited to the states are
reserved to the states respectively, or
to the, people"
The Powers Of Congress Defined.
Now the powers which are deiegat-
ed to congress are defined in sector
8 of article / of the constitution and
are in substance as follows
The congress shall have power
To levy and collect taxes, duties
imports and excuses to pay the debts,
etc.
To borrow money on the credit of
the United States.
To regulate commerce with foreign
nations, and among the several states
and with Indian tribes.
To establish an uniform rule of nat
uralization and uniform laws on the
subject of bankruptcies, etc.
To coin money and regulate the
value thereof, etc.
To provide for the punishment OF
counterfeiting, etc.
To establish postoffices.
To promote the progress of science
ETC.. by patents and copyrights, etc.
To constitute tribunals inferior to
the supreme court.
To define and punish piracies, etc.
To declare war, etc.
To raise and support armies, etc.
To provide and maintain navy.
To make rules for the government
of the land and naval forces.
To provide for calling forth the mil
itia to execute the laws, etc.
To provide for organizing, arming
and disciplining the militia, etc.
To exercise exclusive legislation
over the District of Columbia; ana
To make all laws necessary for car,
rying into execution these powers.
Section 231 Of the United States
Statutes, Compiled 1901.
The secrtary of war will cause to
be prepared and submitted to con.
gress, in connection with the reports
of examinations and surveys of riv-
ers and harbors hereafter made by
order of congress, full statements of
all existing facts tending to show to
what extent the general commerce of
the country will be promoted by the
several works of improvements con-
templated by such examinations and
surveys, to the end that public monies
shall not be applied excepting where
such improvements shall tend to sub.
serve the general commercial and
navigation interests Of the United
States.
These are all the powers congress
has and we fail to find among them
any provision giving congress author
ity to expend any money for the i'm
provement Of inland rivers or for the
protection of the inhabitants Of in
land districts from foods and l am
satisfied that there Is no man In the
United States who knows this better
than does the distinguished gentleman
who has represented the Seventh dis
trict Of Iowa in congress for the past
fourteen years; but one thing is Ger.
tain, that If 1t be possible that Captain
Hull is thus ignorant OF the powers
OF congress, after fourteen years OF
continuous service as member of
that body, surely it is time for the
voters of the Seventh district to
awake from the spell with which the
captain has held them bound and send
someone to congress who has the
mental capacity to at least compre-
bend the powers of congress during a
term of fourteen years.
s. Joe Brown.