Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-06
WISCONSIN LAW MAKER
DEFIANT IN TRADE
AGAINST ACCUSERS
TALKS THREE HOURS
NO MOB ClAMOR OF MOB OR
VOICE OF POWER, HE SAYS,
WILL EVER TURN HIM FROM
COURSE HE HAS ELECTED TO
FOLLOW.

Washington, Oct. Bitterly de.
nouncing what he termed the War
party" in the United States: defend
ing his own course and his public ut
terances in the strongest language.
and fairly shouting that neither the
voice or power nor the clamor of the
mob would turn him from his plan
ned course, Senator Robert Marion
La Toilette for three hours today pre-
sented his views on the war and the
attacks on his pacifcist views directly
to his Senate colleagues.
Neither the clamor of the mob or
the voice of power will ever turn me-
BY the breadth of hair from the
course ! mark out for myself he con
tinued. Guided by such knowledge
as can obtain and directed by
solemn conviction of right and duty"
Il think all men recognize that in
time of war the citizen must surren.
der some rights for the common good
which he is entitled to enjoy in time
Of peace. But, sir the right to con.
troll their own government according
to constitutional forms is not one Of
rights that the citizens of this country
are called upon surrender in time of
war"
He bitterly assaied Congress for
what he termed its failure TO accept
its responsibility under the constitu-
tion and declare the purposes and Oh.
jects for which the United States is
in the war Instead he alleged, 1t
had Illegally transferred its power to
the President, he stated The Wis
consin Senator stated that the war at
the present time is being carried on in
every way unlawfully in that Tie
President and not the Congress is ex-
ercising war-making powers.
He declared that since the consti-
tuition vests in Congress the supreme
power to determine when and for
what purpos the country will engage
in war an the objects to attain which
the war will be prosecuted it seems to
me an evasion of a solemn duty on
the part of the Congress not to exer-
else that power at this critical state
of the nations affairs
He contended that Congress has
failed utterly in its duty by not doing
this.
In concluding Senator La Toilette
summed up his entire position with
language
"A minor duty may be eyaded by
Congress, minor responsibility
aYerted with disaster resulting, but on
this momentous question there can be
no evasion no shirking of duty Of the
Congress, without subscribing our form
of government If our constitution is
to to be changed so as to give the
President the power to determine the
purpose for which this nation will
engage in war, and the condition on
which it will make peace, then let
that change be made deliberately by
an amendment to the constitution pro-
posed and adopted in constitutional
mannef
"lt would be bad enough If the con.
stitution clothed the President with
any such power, but to exercise such
power without constitutional author
ity cannot long he tolerated If even
the forms Of free government are to
remain. We all know that no amend
ment to the constitution giving the
President the power suggested would
be adopted by the people.
"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 estab-
lishment Of peace, permanent peace,
is to give the people who must bear
the brunt of wars awful burden more
TO say about it,