Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-04-19
Presidential Usurpations.

HOilliHE i'ut INV u Ntu- a. l'' WI IA
GOES in swearing Il witness. was stat
ed hv Chas =. Voorhees,. in a speech
he. mad at the jefferson banquet, in
Seattle. Saturday might. when he
uttered these words
No more insiJiou .ly or deadly assault has
ever been attempted than that which PreSi-
dent Roosevelt is attemptinsat this moment
all assault that will certainly lea to the
overthrow OF the Constitutional govern
mcnt."
The SPEAKER is then said to have
outlined in Il mastery manner the
actions of the President that have
been 50 widely criticised withou; ap-
pal,ntly clicitiny the serious conSid-
GRAFTON and unqualified condcmna-
they So richly merit from all true
patriots. He declared tina: history
of AGES might he searched i'm vain for
more palpablc and indcfrnsible Vi
cations of law and diSrcspcct for the
traditions of our country than have
been shown by the President in his
deliberate and persistent efforts to
increase the powers of the Federal
government. Are the people blind
that they cannot see. or deaf that
they cannot hear the clank of the
chains of slavery that are being
forged to fetter the limbs of Free
dom? Can our people not see in the
trend towards eXaltatiOn of classes,
created by wealth and position, a
repetition of the history that has in
variably attended national downfall?
Can our National Executive threat
en- Americans with the use of the
big stick, the army and navy, to CO.
Ocrce the people of one of our best and
brightest States into making equals
in the public schools of dirty little
Japs with their own children, and to
admit the yellow worshipers of Budd-
ha and other forms of idolatry to the
boosted privileges of American citi-
izenship? Is this doubted? Here
are the exact words of Mr.. Roose-
velt's message to Congress submitted
Dec 4th, 1906:
Here and there a most unworthy
feeling has manifested itself toward the
Japanese - the feeling that has been
shown in shutting them out from the
common schools in San Francisco, and
the mntterings against them in one or
tw" other places because of their efiicien-
cy as workers. To shut them out from the
public schools is wicked absurdity. 1t is a
very small body of our citizens that act
badly. Where the Federal government
has power it will deal summarily with such.
l recommend to Congress that an act be
passed specifically PROVIDING FOR THE
NATURALIZATION OF JAPANESE who
come here intending to become American
citizens.
Even as the law now is, something
can he done by the Federal government
to this end, and in the matter now before
me affecting the Japanese, everything
mat Is IN my power to do will be done.
and all Of the forces. Military and Civil, Of
the United States. which may lawfully en-
ploy. will be so employed"
And this position has been empha-
sized by public endorsement of Sec
rotary Root, Senator Lodge and 9TH
ers, high in authority, and, strange
to say, without calling forth q gen.
eral Outburst of indignant protest!
This apathy bodies no good. The
warnings of the founders of our gov
eminent need be studied anew. The
origin and history of the dominant
party from Federalism to the present
time, shows continual trend towards
centralized government and establish
ment OF and rule of privileged classes,
the better classes as they were called
composed of men who have not soiled
their hands with the CRIME of labor
The Alien and Sedition acts of 1898.
were fair indication of this senti-
ment. The former enabled the Pres
ident to deport all such aliens as he
might consider dangerous to the gov
eminent, and the seditiOn act i'm
posed heavy fines upon any one who
should do just what Hartman, La
Toilette and others are now doing,
publish what the Chief Executive
may construe to be false, scandalous
or malicious writings against the
the government, or as Roosevelt
characterizes by shorter term-lies.
Fortunately these acts expired in
1900 and 1901, and defeated the party
which placed them on the statute
book, or some respected Republicans
would now be on a sea-vOyage or be-
hind prison-bars. The Wing party
had the same faint, as was shown by
their policy of protection and Federal
public improvements, and broad or
loose construction of the COnstitu-
ton, all intended to build up by pa
tronage the official head of the gov
eminent and the party under his
control. 1t is the same old leaven
now that aids and fosters means for
amassing colossal fortunes, increas-
ing salaries of pampered officials,
marriage into the effete aristocracy
of the old world and celebrating the
line against debasing of American
citizenship by admitting serfs and
coolies of China and Japan to equali-
ty at the ballot-box and in producing
labor conditions that intensity the
already sharp conflict for the food
and clothing of himself and family.
The great danger attending the
dominancy of any party for a long
length of time seems inseparable from
the nature of man, and the danger is
auOmap tod i,,cf in ,,,.o,,orx;o,, mr. 81