The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-17
HOBSONS RESOLUTIONS
SAYS THEY SHOULD
 BE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY.
Warns the People to Co Slow in Peti- tioning Members of the seD- ate to RatIfy Treaties~
 Now Pending.


 Capt. Richmond Pearson Hobson wrote some weeks ago to Senator Pettus, asking him to introduce in the Senate, I "by request" his bill. seeking to ap- propriate, in round numbers. twenty six hundred and. fifty millions of dol lars for the upbuilding of the might. lest snavy the world ever saw.
 It is rumored that the veteran Sem ator refused to do so in his charac- teristically emphatic way, and that in his letter of declination he invited the attention of the hero of the Merrimac" to the significant fact, that more than one hundred years ago our revolution ary forefathers incorporated in the or- ganic law of the land a constitutional provision to the effect that all revenue lbills-all measures appropriating money out of the Federal Treasury-- must come as directly as possible from the people, by originating in the House of Representatives: that the Senate lcannot take the initiative in such mat ters, and that he, as Senator, having taken an oath to support the Consti- tuition, ought not. for the reasons above stated, to be expected know
  tify himself, even to accommodate this gallant young gentleman. The forego- ling is the substance of what rumor says the Senator wrote to Captain Hob- son.
 Said a prominent and influential Rep jresentative today:
 T observe that Captain Hobson is engaged. just now. in 8 speech-mak- ling tour throughout Alabama, advo- InAt kA nf aIi ha treaties pending in the United States Senate. haye no doubt that his pur- Ipose is patriotic and that his aims are worthy. His program. however, seems to be cut and dried. On every occasion, at the conclusion of his lecture (which lis precisely the same everywhere. to the dotting of an I and the crossing of a ID he offers stereotyped set of resolutions, previously prepared by himself, which are adopted by the au- dience with seeming great unanimity.
 These resolutions are forthwith for warded to the members of Congress, in whose particular district the ad- dress was delivered, for his immediate Consideration Congress Is being flooded with these typewritten resolu- Itions, exactly alike, mutatis mutandls, in every particular Captain Hobson seems either not to have known or else I that the House of Representatives has nothing whatever to do with the rati- 1cation of treaties. The treaty -mak- ling power is lodged exclusively in and Iwith the Senate: and his resolutions. therefore, should be presented, if at all necessary, to that hody for its con sideration and action in the premises and not by any means to members of | the House who have no voice in the I NhA fwh 1f L.. uable constitutional right. which must not, and cannot. be abridged or de- nied; but at the same time it is worse than folly to be presenting petitions, in the shape of resolutions. to members of the House, who by the terms of the Federal Constitution. are expressly excluded from all participation in such matters
 Tt is safe to assume. as a genera; proposition. that the people want peace Iamong the different nations of the earth and good will to mem but, under the circumstances, it might be well for them not to act hastily, but to thor oughly inform themselves as to the texts of these several treaties before they put themselves in the contradic- tory attitude of petitioning their Sena- tors to vote a confirmation of meas ures, for the doing of which they may nave occasion nereaTter 10 cenSure or condemn them It is never wise nor safe to take a leap in the dark
 'T do not know myself the entire contents of these proposed treaties; nor is 1t probable that our impulsive and mercurial people, (whose inclina- tion always is to do right understand all the provisions contained therein. For instance, I am advised that 1t is more than likely that ratification may be construed tc mean that the Gov ernment of the United States shall be- come responsible in certain contingent cies, for the payment of debts of Gen. tral and South American countries, fin l order thereby to preserve the peace of the world. This Is the Rooseveltian l big stick policy. It is rank Jingo- ism
 This Is the Presidents interpreta- tion of the Monroe doctrine. as pro pounded by his mouth piece and for mer War Secretary. Hon, Elihu Root In a speech recently made by him in New York. Do our already tax-ridden peo- pie want to assume such additional burdens? Would it not be better to leave the whole subject to our able and patriotic Senators7 I am, sure they will look after and safe guard our i'm terests in every quarter. An eloquent speech from an enthusiastic and enter taining young gentleman may sound we'll in theory but be disastrous in | practice.
 Tt might. be we'll, therefore. to move slowly in this ratification business un- til more light is shed upon the subject. I IA riert,t to hthlfnn1 C.