The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-03-22

The senator from Georgia (Mr. Hard
wick) who, think, all things con.
sidered, gave the senate the clearest,
damental principles of the law relating
to it which we have heard-said there
| is nothing infthe bill which confers
any authority upon the president
which he does not already possess UNI
der the constitution. He made an eX-
ccption to that, and very wisely. If
! he was speaking of the house bill, 1t
was accurate If he was speaking of
the senate bill, it was not accurate.
This bill, as well rs my amendment,
gives to commanders and crews of
merchant ships, directly from con-
gress-not from the president, be-
cause the president could not confer
any such authority or give them any
such immunity or any such status as
lis here desired-the bill, in the first
place, gives to the commanders and
cIews this status in war or in peace.
1t then gives the president the power,
which he has not now, of supplying
our merchant ships with arms and am
munition.
/ am quite willing to give him that
power. | am quite willing to supply
the president with every power that
The has not now to do q thing that We
want done, to do some specific thing
ltAat we want done. | will not be Mig
Igardly with either power or money If
| am permitted to pass my Judgment
upon the propriety of doing the thing
which is to be done by the president
or with the money. This answers the
inquiry made few minutes ago by
the senator from Washington.
There is no man whom / would
rather trust in this matter than the
president OF the United States. have
said that once. | repeat it. because |
hope am not coward, and it makes
my blood boil sometimes to hear sug-
gestions that the American people
have become towards. 1t is 4 gross
Islander upon the nOblest race of men
and women who ever lifted their faces
TO the shining sun. They are not cow
ards, and whenever they believe that
!, their honor has been touched, when
ever they believe that their vital in
, terests have been attacked, they will
be quick enough to yindicate and main
tain to the last degree these rights
land this honor. But | am willing when
et er specific thing is to be done in
the way of executing the policy which
belongs to congress to establish, to
give the authority to the president. 1t
, is properly to be exercised by him
; But let US see.
give him in my amendment the
, authority to equip these merchant
J ships so that they can make a success
full defense against the attacks Of
! uhmarines-and l think every attack
| OF a submarine upon a merchant ship
/ under the proclamation which Ger
| many has issued, is an unlawful at
= tack. l do not dispute that. l would
; regard it as an unlawful attack if the
, matter were presented to me under
= the circumstances which must sur
; round those who are attacked But
now come to the proposition laid down
| repeat by the senator from Georgia
! think it was said in way by the
senator from Utah (Mr. Sutherland
J and | believe it was affirmed by the
sena> or from New Mexico (Mr. FalD
/ and have not heard it disputed.
1t is stated that the president has
the constitutional duty, to defend and
Iprotect the citizens of the United
States in their rights under the law
that he has the power and that it is
his duty to defend the lives of the
citizens of the United States. | agree
to both those propositions. care not
whether the power is derived from the
grant of commandery of the army and
injunction to see to it that the laws
are faithfully executed, or whether, as
the senator from Utah thought, it is
! an attribute of sovereignty of any
country and, of course, of the United
States. 1t matters not to me what par
tlcular phrase Oh the constitution we
may invoke in order to find this power
think he has it and have no doubt
OF his duty or his obligation to exc
cute it.
1t might at once be said, if that be
, true, why did the congress or the
United States attempt to belittle the
power which is given to him by the
constitution by an act of Legislation
To me it is worse that the classical eff
fort to paint the lily: If the president
has the power and agree he has il
+ lit is rather monstrous thing to ask
, congress to ratify power which the
people of the United States gave to
him when they ordained the constitu.
ton of the country. 1t is violence OF
all propriety. 1t proceeds in absolute
!, indifference to the spirit of our institu,
tions. would no more think of giving
to the president, or attempting to give
to him, power that is conferred upon
him by the constitution than | would
I t.r. a !. u A .