The Detroit times., 1917-04-05

himself. he would be the sole arbiter OF all
such questions and determining all such cues
tlea- Tor himself he would be made the sole
ludgo as TO the Observation-Disclosures or methods
thsf he might employ 90 ayenge or 20 punish
whatever he might declare 90 be- an onense IN
der this Law. lie might adopt for example, re-
taliation as method both OF punishment ana
. Of prevention
The bin il broad enough for that. Possibly
/ such an act might he considered ~ very proper
and salutary thing for the president 10 do; but
/ 10 90 o. would be war N the president should
/ so direct. acting under this proposed law. who
would SAY him nay But ana hing done or that
nature or along those lines or any act done
which would BE- the equivalent thereof would,
as 7 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 hopelcssly silent and powerless,
The congress would have abdcated and sur
rendered In advance all chance OF passing upon
the question adiudicated by the president-leay
ing everything 20 him. They would have sur
rendered their constitutional right and lost their
opportunity 20 determine whether or not the
facts upon which the president acted would JUS
ufy a declaration OF war or warrant the insugur.
alton OF war by definite act OF war
Senator Stone opposed the bill and was
called traitor for it because its word
ing, other instrumentallties gave to an
individual too wide latitude and be-
cause il would have been unconstitu-
tiona because it delegated power vested
in congress and absolutely in congress.
He OPPOSED IT BECAUSE 1T
DELEGATED AUTOCRATIC POWER
IN A DEMOCRACY.
The words "other instrumentalities'
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
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
1T WAS NEITHER RIGHT NOR CON-
STITUTIONALLY PERMISSIBLE
THAT SHOULD ASSUME THE RE-
SPONSIBILITY OF MAKING"
Senator La Toilette, who was burneii
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 ''sFhoAy 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 UNI
lawful violence. BUT ARMED NEU-
TRALITY, 1T NOW APPEARS, is M
PRACTICABLE"
United States Senator Stone, chairman
of the most important committee in con-
gress, opposed a declaration of war
because he does not believe the United
States should declare war.
If war is declared he will rally patriot
ically to the standard and join with all
his soul in the fight.
He says he will.
But he fought against war to the last
ditch.
lie 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
admires and honors him for his stand
and his courage.
Our ultra-militarists, our jingoes, will
not
His ideas Of war do not fit into their
scheme. nor does the idea Of free speech