The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-01-14
o o cc o o o Q o o o o o Q o Q
Q WHAT EDITORS ARE SAYING Q
5000 90 coo Q @ o 90 0 o


The Perkins resolutions adopted by
an almost unanimous vote Of I'll 70 ~,
declaring the language OF the secret
service paragraph OF his annual mes
sage to be ''uniustllled and without
basis OF fact" and "a breach Of the
privileges Of the house Is the severesl.
rpbuke administered 70 a president Of
the United States By either branch Of
since the Impeachment Of
Andrew johnson.
The Culbersor resolution calling up
on the Judiciary committee OF the state
TO ascertain whether Mr.. Roosevelt had
any authority to llcenss the absorption
Of the Tennessee Coal and Iron com
pany BY the steel trust ia the first In
stance III many years In which house
Of congress has undertaken 70 ascers
tain whether president deliberately
Vi lated his official oath to take care
that the laws are faithfully executed.
OF these two actions the more i'm
porlant Is the Perkins resolution tab.
ling the special secret service message
and the llbeIlous parts OF the regular
message, because the oftcnse ls great.
er II would be a serious thing indeed
il president licensed a violation OF
the Federal laws; but It II far more
serious thing for a president TO libel
and Witty a co-ordinate branch Of the
government. No mere neglect Of duty,
no single usurpatlon Of power, Is com.
parable IN It's evil effects with sian
deraus assault by the chief executive
upon the lawmaklng power OF the
nation.
This Is no mere personal quarrel be-
tween the president and congress, az
administration newspapers pretend
Other presidents have auarreled with
congress: but no other president vyer
attacked IN a message the Integrity OF
the entire lawmaklng branch OF the
government 81 inslnuated that THE
congressman" were practically the ao
completes Of criminals Jackson did
not DO Il. yet Jackson was censufed
IN senate resolution. Johnson ala
not do II: YET Johnson was impeached
and tried for 'higa crimes and mis-
demaaEors'
Congress. In spite OF the greatest
provocatlon, has never taken official
notice Of Mr.. Rooseyelt's private libels
and ISLANDERS. innumerable and Qiten
slvo IA they are. II was not until he
presumed officially to impeach the
honesty OF It's membership as a whole
that formal protest was made
The true issue can not be better ex
pressed than IN the dlgnifled and we'll
chosen language with which Chairman
Perkins presented the commltteet
resolutions;
IT Is dangerous 10 The Republic tha
a large portion Of our people shoule
have their confidence shaken IN the
Judges who interpret the law Il Il
equally dangerous that their conf
dence should be impaired IN those wn'
enact the laws; and Il ls for this rea
son that the duty devolyes upon thl
lawmakers not to allow the integrity
OF their motives 10 be lightly question
ed. We may be sure that no Legislative
body viii be respected Dy the people
nnless It resnects Itself We are leal
Gus It the honor Of the patioai w
should be equally jealous Of the homo
OF our institutions"
Mr. Tawney did not oyerstaie thi
case when he said
"The arbitrary and unauthorized us
o. the great power oi any one 81 th
branches of our government IN ihl
respect, ~ allowed to pass unehallens
od, will 20 further % undermine th'
confidence Of the people Ia their gos
ernment than all other agencies Son
blned. Undermine the confidence .
the people in any one OF the three CO
ordinate branches Of their government
and v0u have done more to destrp,
The foundation upon which that g0s
ernment rests than in any other way.
Even on the issue OF the secret SCI
vice itself MIR Tawney showed tha
Mr., Roosevets opinions and conclui
ions are alike unlrustworthy. lnstea
OF an attempt having been made b
congress 10 hamper the enforcement 9
the laNs, The aggregate amount apprt
prlated for this fiscal year FOR secre
service OF that character" Is s72i4
59S.35. while ethere VAS also appropr
ated for the fiscal year 1909 70 be use
in whole or in part to prevent fraud
IN and depredatlons upon the sewers
branches OF the public service. TO pre
tect public lands from fraudulent eI
tries and 10 apprehcnd and punis
+ other vlolaters Of the law. an aggrt
gate Of 23.5sS.i7O"
Yet Mr. Roosevelt had sought to pei
suade the country that owing to th
Vaccinations % 'the congressman
who edid net themselves wish 20 be Il
yeslIgated By secret service men Oh
machinery OF justice had been cripple
aud that congress- was legislatlnA |
protect criminals" Mr.. Roosevelt 0
the very heels Of the house vote fur
lshed shocking revelation Of hls 0w
theory OF q secret service In maxim
public the correspondence in the TIL
man case II Senator Tillman has bee
guilty uf any criminal ofiense. II wa
Mr. Itoosevelt'a sworn duty to has
him Indicted and prosecuted II IN
senator Is not guilty Of O criminal O
leuae. what object could Mr. Kooseye
have IN making public this ex part
statement except to besmlreh the repl
tatiun OF personal aud politics
enemyg
II Is bad enough when A pFeelden
drunk with power. lIbels individual
'sho have offended him, but wheu !
prosumes TO libel congress and q
courts. az Mr. Roosevelt has done. II
situation becomes lnlulerabIe II a col
stltuslonal government is % be mai
tanned,
NJ. RooseveIts masaage. whaIeyI