The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-04-03

Mr.. Illlman mad MS usual large du-
dience on the floor and in the galleries
the crowd was the largest present this
session. His speech was full of fiery
rhetoric, his voice loud and his gestures
many and picturesque.
When he emphatically declared that
Senators who do not agree with the
executive and who refuse to obey his
will must be retired" he looked toward
the republican side as if he were chal-
longing any senator over there to deny
what he said.
The speech was on his own resolu-
ton to investigate recent transactions
of New York banks, but Mr.. Tillman
apparently thought the occasion a good
one to say many things that were in
his mind.
JOHNSON'S IMPEACHMENT
ut has taken just forty-one years,
he began, for the pendulum to swing
from one extreme to the other. In
1867 Andrew Johnson, who had held
the executive Office, had grown weaker
and weaker in the struggle against the
fanatical and revolutionary forces
which had gathered strength during
the civil war, and Immediately after he
was shorn of all semblance of power
and narrowly escaped impeachment. 10
speak more accurately he was i'm
peached and on the trial failed Of con-
viction by the pitifully small margin o.
one vote.
HE was brought to trial on the
fiimsy charge of having put construc-
ton on the law which empowered him
to remove his own Secretary of War
and appoint another. He had swung
around the circle and made speeches,
none of which were in any degree more
aggressive or more denunciatory OF
men and things than our President now
delivers to applauding thousands. Con-
gress included this in it's bill of indict-
ment, but it was too trivial to cut any
figure in the proceedings.
The legislative branch was naughty,
insolent and tyrannical to the last de-
gree in it's use and abuse of power.
Vetoes were overridden by two-thirds
votes in both houses and the Presi-
dency was in eclipse. The President
drew his salary and lived in the White
House, signed commissions, but to all
intents and purposes was nonentity,
and exercised no influence or control
whatever over legislation, and in every
way the great office of President lost
prestige and all semblance of control
in our public affairs. With the election
of Grant the pendulum began to swing
the other way, and during the last
seven years it has moved with such
momentum that we have witnessed a
condition never dreamed of by those
wise trainers of our Constitution, who
declared so often that the three branch
es should be forever kept separate and
distinct.
Now the House of Representatives
coming directly from the people by po-
Ipular vote, has, under the rules adopted
by it's members, degenerated into little
more than a recording machine to do
the will of the Speaker and his lieI-
tenants Freedom of debate in the
old and true sense has disappeared
from that end of the Capitol and mea-
sures of the greatest Importance are
damned through almost without dis
cussion under the Reed rules, under
conditions, which, to say the least, are
discreditable.
AFRAID TO RESIST EXECUTIVE.
THE senators of the dominant party
are afraid to resist the executive will
lest they themselves should fail to OBJ
tain the patronage of their states. This
condition is aggravated by the dread
of republican senators lest the popular
ity of the President with the people
shall force them into retirement II
they resist the behests from the White
House.
when a clash between senators oil
members of the House has come the
people have sided with the President
in almost every instance, and the feal
of retirement from Office through presi
Dental influence enables Mr. Roose'
welt to pursue the policy Of hectorizinf
and domineering, which are the strong
est features Of his character. But thes'
conditions, however deplorable, arr
themselves the results of causes trace
able directly to the people themselves
The same political machine which
placed the President in the White
House has sent the sixty-one republi
can senators to this chamber and thu
249 republican members to the House
The grand old party of Lincoln, Gran
and Mckinley holds absolute sway be
cause the people have willed it so, ant
uhnn Mr. RnnsaValf indnlPas in hi