Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-03-20
PREPARE FOR WAR.
see What Plight We Were in in 1912
and 1861, Taft SAYS WarnInoiv

and 1861, Taft Says Warninqiy.
secretary Taft addressed the Ellicott
CiuD at Buffalo. recently. and respond
ed 10 the toast George Wa hingtOn.
In the course of his address he said
concerning the nations unprtparedness
for war:
washington deemed the preparatiou
OF the nation for war as of high i'm
portance. Our humiliating experience
In the War Of 1912 and the immense
<ssses which We suffered In the Civil
War from lack of preparation show
that in this respect at least we have
not followed the advice of the first
President. We are. however, making
our navy more and more respectable
each year. and | am very hopeful that
Congress will take the steps which will
make our army the proper nucleus for
the rapid enlargement of a force for
national defense commensurate with
the population Of the country and with
the extent of our jurisdiction.
We have not completed coast de-
fenses in Hawaii. in the Philippines,
or at the lsthmian Canal. Should war
Overtake us our delay in this respect
would Justify the severest condemna-
tion. The American people are an in
tensely practical people in certain ways
and in other ways they are as dreamy
and irresponsible as If born under the
tropic sun. Knowing that in 1SG4-65
We had an army of a million men as
good as ever carried a gun, they have
promptly raise a similar army to re-
sist foreign aggression or to enforce
our international rights, without realiz-
ing that it took three years of a most
stupendous war to make that army.
Still. We are very much better off than
We were, and IL God, who seems to
have watched over the fortunes of this
| country. shall avert a war until an
other decade has passed We shall prob
ably be in a better condition to meet
1t than ever before in our history"
Among other things Secretary Taft
said:
"WashingtOn pointed out the neces-
sity for maintaining the separation of
the branches of the Federal Govern
ment into which the Constitution divid
ed 1t, and warned the country against
the danger of the usurpation OF the
powers of one branch by another. From
time TO time in political discussions We
have heard much Of such usurpation
In the days of Jefferson the Supreme
Court was called a thief of jurisdic-
tiOn. and its action in assuming the
| right to declare invalid laws of a State
or laws of the United States which
were contrary to the provisions of the
Federal Constitution brought out the
bitterest condemnation But under the
steadying hand of John Marshall, his
associates and his successors, the right
eOusness of the tribunal in assuming
this power is now admitted. and the
function which the Supreme Court and
Federal jurisdiction performs in main
tanning and enforcing the constitu-
tiOnal limitations upon the action Of
the legislature and the executive, Is
now held up by students of political
science and government as certainly
the most novel and as probably the
most valuable change affected by our
Federal Constitution.
From time to time, 1t Is asserted
against an executive that he is usurp
ing the functions of the Legislature.
but as long as Congress retains the
power of appropriation and expediture
of money the danger in this regard is
negligible.
THE President Is vested by the Con-
sttution with the right to advise Con-
gress in respect to legislation. and in
the exercise of the limited veto power
actually takes part in 1t. In view Of
his legitimate functions. in securing
legislation it is far fetched to term his
personal influence In securing the pas
sage of useful legislation a usurpation.
In respect to the frequently made
assertion that since Washington's day
the powers of the national Government
under the Constitution have been great
ly widened by construction in cOmpari-
son with the powers of the State. and
that, therefore. it may be said that the
national Government has usurped State
powers. | can only enter a dissent AL
lowing for the changed conditions due
to the enormous growth of the country.
it can be truly said that the injunction
OF Washington to keep within the Con-
stitutional division of powers has been
sacredly kept.
so far as the European nations are
concerned, the advice of Washington
has been scrupuOusly observed by
every administration since his. We
have never mixed in European affairs.
We have made no permanent treaties,
offensive or defensive. binding us with
any European or Asiatic power.
J I'VE may be sure that were the con-
ditions in respect to Porto Rico, Cuba
and the Philippines presented to Wash
ington as they have been to this gen.
GRAFTON during the last decade he
would have approved the course which
has been taken"
The Tanning Process.
They told the youngster to soak his