Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-06

patriotic duty Of American citizens, after
the declaration OF war; ana while the war
was in progress, to discuss the issues Of
the war and to criticize the policies opposed
to prolonging the war.
The right Of these men is exactly the
same as that possessed by every American
citizen today in respect to the war in which
we are now engaged"
Quoting Lloyd-Georgc, La Toilette
showed lie had opposed the Boer war both
before and after its beginning; he showed
how Chatham and Burke opposed tho war
on the American colonies, quoting, lie said,
''tp show that the principle of free speech
was no new doctrine born Of the Constitu-
ton of the United States"
La Toilette than launched into a criti-
! cism Of Congress for failing to exercise
! It's power to declare the purpose and OBJ
je"tS of the war"
81 believe that had Congress exercised
| this power we would have avoided tho
present war; continued La Toilette ~
y To-day the President is regulating COM
merco with foreign nations under an at
tempted delegation OF power from Congress
and regulating 1T in such a way as to in
Volve us in serious difficulty. il not actual
war, with Holland and the Scandinavian
countries" he said.
PRESIDENTS POWER
The President, under his constitutional
authority, gets no power to declare the OBJ
jects and purposes Of any war In which the
country may be engaged and cannot make
a treaty Of peace without the approval of
the Senate. | commend this thought TO
those gentlemen both in and out Of public
office who condemn all efforts either by the
people or their representatives in Congress
to discuss peace, or who even venture to
suggest that a peace Is not desirable until
such time the President. acting solely
on his own responsibility. shlll declare for
peace.
at is strange doctrine we hear these
days, that the mass of the people who pay
in money, misery and blood all the costs Of
| this war, out of which a favored few prof;
so largely may not freely and publicly dis
Cuss terms Of peace.
THE universal conviction Of those who
yet believe in the rights of the people is
that the first step towards the prevention
of war and the establishment Of permanent
peace is to give the people who must bear
the bruut Of vars awful burdens more %
say about IT," he continued
And because there is 10 ccarne3s of
! understanding, no unity of opinion in this
country. on the part Of the people as to
| the conditions upon which We are pTosecut-
| ing this war or what the specific objects
are. it becomes still moro imperative each
| day that Congress should declare the OBJ
| jects of this war which will afford the basis
| for a conference and for the establishment
| of permanent peace. The President has
asked the German people to.speak for them
selves this great world issue, so why
| should not the great American people voice
| their convictions through their chosen rep
resentatives i'm Congress? Shall the fear
| fully overburdened people Of this country
| continue to bear the brunt of a prolonged
| war for any objects not openly stated and
denned?'
In concluding his speech La Toilette
| called on the people Of the country to
| unite In campaign along constitutional
| lines for free discussion of the policy Of
! the war and its conclusion on just basis. ="