The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-06

1
time on any single proposition upoT
which the senate had been divided"
Senator La Toilette declared that
IL he alone had been made the VIC
tim Of these attacks, he would not
take the senate's valuable time for
their consideration.
Private Rights Violated.
But, sir, he continued, lit is not
alone the members Of congress that
the war party in this country has
sought to intimidate. The mandate
has gone forth to the sovereign peo-
pie Of this country that they must be
silent while those things are being
done by their government which most
vitality concern their well-being, their
happiness and their lives. Today
and for weeks past, honest and law
abiding citizens of this country are
being terrorized and outraged in
their rights by those sworn to uphold
the laws and protect the rights of
the people. I have in my possession
numerous affidavits establishing the
fact that people are being unlawfully
arrested, thrown into Jail, held in
communicate for days. only to be
eventually discharged without ever
having been taken into court because
they have committed no crime. Pri-
vate residences are being invaded,
loyal citizens Of cndoubted integrity
and probity arrested, cross-examined
and the most sacred constitutional
rights guaranteed to every American
citizen are being continually violat-
ed.
1T appears to be the purpose Of
those conducting this campaign to
throw the country into a state Of
terror, to coerce public opinion, to
stifie criticism and suppress discus
sion of the great issues involved in
this war.
Besides quoting at length from the
American statesmen who opposed
bitterly President Folks policy in the
Mexican war, the Wisconsin senator
gave extracts from speeches by
Burke, Fox. Lord Chatham and 9TH
ers in the British parliament attack
ing Great Britain's war upon the
American colonies. He said he did
! speech was no new doctrine born Of
the constitution Of the United States.
Cites PRESIDENTS.
In support of his assertion that
congress should speak for the coun-
try in declaring the purposes Of war
the senator cited precedents at great
length.
1T would be bad enough il the
| constitution clothed the President
with any such power, he said, "but
to exercise such power without con-
/ stitutional authority cannot long be
tolerated If even the forms of free
government are to remain. We know
that the people would resist, if neces-
sary with arms in their hands, any
scheme to clothe the President with
power to plunge this country into
war and then to continue the war as
long as he desired.
Senator La Toilette said no con-
viction was stronger with the people
today than that there should be no
future wars except in case Of actual
invasion unless supported by refer
endum.
And, he added, because there is
no clearness Of understanding, no
unity Of opinion in this country on
the part of the people as to the con-
ditions upon which we are prosecut-
ing this war or what the specific OBJ
| jects are upon the attainment Of
which the present administration
would be willing to conclude a peace,
it becomes still more imperative each
day that congress should assert its
constitutional power to define and
will afford the basis for a conference
and for the establishment of permanA
ent peace. The President has asked
the German people to speak fcP
themselves on this great world issue.
Why should not the American people
voice their convictions through their
chosen representatives in congress-?
La Toilette. facing in turn the Re-
publican and Democratic sides and
the vice presidents rostrum, held up
mass of clippings, too bulky to
quote, which he had printed in the
congressional record instead.
Demands Attention.
Once he stopped as a rebuke to a
man talking at a gallery door and
waited until Vice President Marshall
admonished the sergeant-at-arms to
restore order.
Again, a senator talking at one of
the lobby doors annoyed him and he
paused. La Toilette wanted the COM
plete attention of the senate and
demanded 1t. Not for a long time
has a speaker received the close at
tention he received and seldom has
there been so impressive a scene in
either house where the interest con-
centrated in single member.
As La Toilette proceeded the crowd
DSS0AAAS 50 ueIASe III the SnlieElSS THAT
people stood in the aisles and about
the walls and large numbers waited
about each door.
Senator Williams, of Mississippi,
carefully took notes OF La Follette's
remarks, planning a reply.
Denial Of Free Speech.
Emphasizing denial of free speech,
Senator La Toilette said:
There has never been a time for
more than a century and half when
the right of free speech and free
press and the right of the people
peaceably to assemble for public dis
cussion has been so violated among
English-speaking people as they are
violated today throughout the United
States. Today in the land we have
been wont to call the free United
States, governors, mayors, policemen,
and even the new fiedged soldier in
his first khaki are preventing or
breaking up peaceable meetings call
ed to discuss the questions growing
out of this war, and judges and
courts, with some notable exceptions,
are failing TO protect the citizens in
their rights.