Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-05-01
THE ESPIONAGE BILL is A VIOLA
TION OF THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE UNITED STATES.
In a page editorial the !

American or April 80, says.
1T is absolutely true that the most
dangerous despotism is a benevolent
oespOtism. ... No thoughtful man
can fail to see that for the past If
teen years our representative govern
ment has been undergoing steady
metamorphOsis- that with stead
lily increasing rapidity The FEEDER
alists who, under Hamilton's lead,
W orked ably and insistently to estab-
lish monarchy as our form of gov
ornment, never, in their fondest
dreams, hoped to enthrone a monarch
who could and would subjugate the
American Parliament to his will and
DEGREES. Yet we have seen, in the
past few years, the American Con-
gress repeatedly coerced against its
undoubted will We have seen legis-
lation prepared by Cabinet dfTicers,
without the pretense of consultation
with the Congress, sent to that body
with a demand that it be passed
without so much as changing the
crossing of a t or the dotting of an 1,
and have seen the Congress coercet
into complying with the demand,
against the known and expressed
viii and conviction of a majority OF
both Houses. We have seen, over
and over again, the most vital and
serious problems of domestic and
foreign relations, which the Consti-
5ntion Of the land expressly gives the
Congress, and the Congress only, the
authority to deal with and to decide,
dealt with and decided in q Cabinet
meeting-at times by the sole die
tum of single Cabinet officer.
Against this unconstitutional and
dangerous usurpation of legislative
powers by the Executive there is
only one defense, which is the liberty
Of the press. We emphasize these
deplorable and dangerous conditions
because it is now proposed by the
Executive that the Congress shall
pass a law the intent and the sure
effect of which will be to give. the
President and members of his Cabi-
net the power to destroy the freedom
Of the press, to put a muZzle upon
the only voice which the American
people have with which to make
known their sentiments and their
will. II is true that the President
has denied any such intention on his
part. In published letter addressed
c Mr.. Arthur Brisbane the Pfesi-
dent says:
Il shall not expect or permit
any part oft his law to apply to
me or any of my official acts, or
in any way TO be used as a shield
against criticism. While
exercising the great powers of
the Office ! hold, 1 should regret
in crisis like that through
which we are now passing TO
lose the benefit of patriotic and
intelligent criticism
1--WE must confess that when we
first saw this letter, which was after
Mr.. Brisbane had given it to the
press for publication, we were
amazed that Mr.. Wilson had not per-
eeived that in these quoted sentences
he had provided every American who
still patriotically clings to our con-
stitutional forms of representative
government and to the liberties
guaranteed by the Constitution a
powerful argument with which to
protest to the Congress against such
an attempted grant OF unlawful and
tyrannical powers. For the only
possible construction that can be
fairly put upon Mr.. Wilson's words is
will give him THE POWER to silence
criticism and to muzzle the press. but
that he does not EXPECT to use that
Qower That is to say, the Espionage
bill would make Mr. Wilson n despot,
but his intention is to be benevol-
cnt despot You will be told that
lutocratic powers entrusted to Mr..
Wilson can do no harm, because Mr.
Wilson viii not use them despotic
ally We are shamed and humiliated
by reading and hearing such syco-
phantic, unpatriotic and un-American
language every day-language which
IS disgrace to free man and fit
only for the mouth of a slave. or
course, Mr.. Wilson is a well-meaning
nan, an honest man, and a patriotic
man. But does that make him so
free from human errors and human
miscalculation that everybody else
must remain silent and trust to the
Presidents superhuman direction, no
matter where it leads? With all due
respect to Mr.. Wilson's honesty of
purpose, it is notorious that he has
changed his mind and his attitude
upon nearly every great question of
vital Importance during his Presi-
lency
He referred to preparedness and
military training as merely
matters of academic interest, I" after
this dreadful war had been en-
for months and months the
Imperative need OF IMMEDIATE pre-
and then became an an
lent advocate of preparedness.
He has publicly proclaimed the
solemn duty of every American to
remain neutral in word, deed and
thought toward the European war,
md has since discovered that it is
i solemn duty to engage in the war,
lot to defend American rights or to
protect American commerce, but TO !
be a partner in molly crusade |
gainst autocracy and for human |
'ibcrtv-though it is perfectly clear !
hat If such is the character of the !
war now and such our solemn duty
now, the character Of the war and |
our solemn duty we've the same in |
1914
But few weeks ago he announced |
tc the world that the only peace !
which could possibly be followed by |