The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-04-05
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1917

given case. engaged upon a iaNtui ana peacelu
| pursuit. The president would decide that foI
| himself: he would be the sole sroiter OF al
| such questions: and determining all such ques
| tions for himself he would be made the sole
| Judge as 10 the "tnstrmentalities' or methods
| that he might employ 20 avenge or 10 punish
whatever he might declare 90 be an onense un'
der this law He might adopt for example, re
tAliatiOn as a method both OF punishment and
OF prevention
such an act might BE- considered "a a very proper
and saluiary thing for the president 10 do; but
10 do Il would be war. n the president should
so direct acting under this proposed law, who
would say him nav? But anything done OF that
nature or along those lines. or any act done
which would BE- the equivalent thereof, would.
a. said not only be act OF war. but II would
be the very essence OF war in fact, and the
congress would have by their own act rendered
themselves hopelessly silent and powerless.
TIE congress would have abdcated and sur.
rendered in advance all chance OF passing upon
the question adjudicated by the president-leav-
ing everything 20 him. They would have sur
rendered their constitutional night and lost their
opportunity 10 determine whether or not the
facts upon which the president acted would Jus
tfy a declaration OF war or warrant the inaugur
alton Of war by definite act OF war
Senator Stone opposed the bill and was
called traitor for it because its word
ing, other instrumentalities" gave to an
individual too wide latitude and be-
cause it would have been unconstitu-
tional because it delegated power vested
in congress and absolutely in congress.
HE OPPOSED 1T BECAUSE 1T
DELEGATED AUTOCRATTC POWER
IN A DEMOCRACY.
The words "other instrumentaities'
were eliminated in the house before that
body passed the armed neutrality bill.
Now let's take the opening paragraph
of President Wilson's address TO the
Joint session asking for declaration Of
a state of war with Germany.
The president said
Il have called the congress into ex-
traordinary session because there are
serious, very serious, choices of policy to
be made, and made Immediately. WHICH
TT WAS NEITHER RIGHT NOR CON-
STITUTIONALLY PERMISSIBLE
THAT SHOULD ASSUME THE RE-
SPONSIBILITY OF MAKING"
Senator La Toilette, who was burnei
in effigy in his country yesterday, OPP
posed the armed neutrality bill and was
called traitor by the crowd that has
been for war from the beginning, be-
cause he was convinced armed neutrality
would be wholly Ineffective to use his
own words.
Addressing the special session of con-
gress, many days later, President Wilson
said:
when | addressed the congress on the
twenty-sixth of February last, thought
that it would suffice TO assert our neutral
rights with arms, our right to use the
seas against unlawful interference, our
right TO keep our people safe against I'M
lawful violence. BUT ARMED NEU-
TRALTTY, IT NOW APPEARS. is M
PRACTICABLE"
United States Senator Stone. chairman
of the most important committee in con.
gress, opposed a declaration Of wal
because he does not believe the United
States should declare war
II war is declared he will rally patriot
ically to the standard and join with al
his soul in the fight.
He says he will.
But he fought against war to the las
ditch.
He chung to his rights as an Ameri
can with the good American tenacity and
grit that can be counted on TO do its full
share in the crushing of the Hohenzol
lerns.
The Times, convinced that he acts from
the promptings of sincere convictions
admira and honors him for his stanc
and his courage.
Our ultra-militarists, our jingoes, vii
not.
His ideas of war do not fit into thei