The Washington herald., 1913-05-24
SISSON Defends
STATES STAND
Mississippian, in Speech in
House, Attacks Method Of
Making Treaties.
FARMER Is INVOLVED
Without Control, Land Owners Could
Employ Alien Labor and Dictate
Terms, He Declares.

Declaring that the American farmer
is facing a great trial through the de-
sire of corporations to get control of
all the land in the United States and
defending the right of the United States
to protect her own land against the In
vasion of aliens, Representative Sisson
of Mississippi urged upon the House yes
terday the necessity for curtailing The
treaty-making power Of the President
and the Senate and extending the right
of ratifying treaties more generally 10
the representatives of the people. Sis
son discIaimed he had any intention OF
making a war speech and explained that
he merely sought to sustain the right
of America to control her own soil
IF any nations" he continued, should
decide that they will dictate how our
land laws should be made. then We will
be unworthy of national existence II
we submitted to such dictatton. Does
any one claim that this is a declaration
of war because | announce this truth?
Attitude Is Explained.
eft is no declaration of war for the
limited States government to decline to
override the rights Of sovereign state
al the dictation of a foreign power. II
the United States government, with us
army and navy, and with brute force,
which IL has superior to any one OF these
States should take away from the state
the right to control its domestic con-
Germs and deliver the State over to the
mercies of flood of aliens from any
nation, then I maintain the Federal gov
eminent has prostituted its authority.
Nothing has been further from my
mind than to embarrass or tend TO render
more difficult the peaceful solution OF
whatever differences. real or imaginary,
which may exist between the friendly
government of Japan and our own gov
rrnment The advisers of both gover.,-
meuts are TO be commended for their Wise
and earnest effort to maintain peaceful
relations between the United States and
Japan. My judgment is that 1t only re-
uuires patience and cool heads for both
countries to arrive at an amicable. fair,
and just settlement of differences"
Mr.. Sission eontended that great Gaze
should be taken that the treaty making
power should not be regarded as supreme
and above all other powers. A treaty can
not bind the United States TO do what
the Constitution forbids them to do, he
said. "A treaty cannot compel any de-
partment Of the government to do what
the Constitution submits TO its exclusive
and absolute will. On these questions the
true canon OF construction that the treaty
making power in its seeming absoluteness
and unconditional extent is confronted
with seeming absolute and unconditional
authority invested in the judiciary. Each
must be construed and conditioned upoa
the equally clear power vested in the
other"
Treaty Secrecy Condemned.
Mr.. Sisson pleaded for less secrecy in
the making of treaties. He declared that
treaties should be considered IN the open
session of the Senate and the vote of each
Senator should be made public record.
He declared the possibility of allowing
the importation of great hordes of cheap
alien labor would surely lead to great
control OF land.
What would become of the farmer II
the great corporations of the country
should enter the land market and buy all
of the best lands of the country and then
cultivate them with Monaghan or other
cheap alien labor?
How long will be the American farmer
be able to compete with great land mo-
nopolies in producing what lands are
ada pied to? The great land corporate IN
would establish its commissary and COM
pei its horde of aliens to purchase every
thing which they consume from it, and
will be enabled TO make enormous profits
out of the land and drive the American
farmer out of existence"