The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1918-11-01

To the Voters of the 14th District:
Day by day it becomes more evident
what the President meant when he
said Politics is adjourned" It is
becoming more and more apparent
that the President desires not only
that voters give up their freedom and
independence in the voting booth, but
that branches Of the government CO.
ordinate and equal to the executive
must abdicate their constitutional
functions. Congress must not only
become rubber stamp, but the Sem
ate must give up its treaty making
powers. 80 -@' N9| -, -
Nothing less is meant by resolu-
ton recently introduced by Senator
Lewis, the senior senator from ILL
nois, the Democratic whip Of the SEN
ate and the self-proclaimed spokes-
man of the White House. '.-'~.
The preposterous proposition ad-
vanced by Senator Lewis in his reso-
luton is that the senate shall approve
In advance whatever course may be
taken by the president. In his deal
mgs with and his replies to the Ger
man and Austrian governments in re-
lation either to peace or an armistice.
He further desires that the senate re-
solve that it approves and endorses
whatever methods the President may
employ to achieve victorious peace
and the establishment of the princi-
pies for which we waged war. He
would bind the senate to endorse, in
advance, whatever determination the
president might reach as to the man
ner best calculated to preserve the
dignity of the nation and to secure
complete vindication of the war. What
this amounts to is complete abdic-
cation of the senate's constitutional
functions in making treaties.
Under the constitution the president
can neither make war nor peace. He
is commander-in-chief Of the army and
navy, and as such has entire control
of military and naval operations. He
can enter into an armistice and ar
range the details of military sur
render, but he does not have the sole
power to make the terms Of peace. He
is given the power "by and with the
advice and consent Of the senate" to
make treaties, and two-thirds vote
of the senate is necessary for the rati-
fcation of any treaty. The resolu-
ton Of Senator Lewis means that the
senate is to waive it's treaty-making
functions and vest that entire power
in the president-th the people are
not to enjoy their rights of indepen-
dent judgment Of the senate of the
United States on such important and
momentous questions, and that the
members Of that body are to violate
their oath Of office and neglect theil
sworn duty.
1t is one of the most revolutionary
proposals ever offered in the Ameri.
can congress-. Never before in the
history Of the country has it beer
proposed or even suggested that the
senate of the United States should alb
dicate it's high duties, shut it's eyes
and tie its hands and give carte
blanche to the president to make what
ever terms of peace he desires. Under
this resolution he would not be re-
quired to consult our allies as to the
terms Of the treaty. 1t even violates
one of the presidents own IA arti-
cles-the one aimed at secret diplom-
acy-proposed as basis for peace.
The present senate is Democratic
by eight votes. There is every pros
pect that small margin will be even
smaller in the next senate. 1t may
disappear altogether. In any event,
Republican votes will be necessary to
secure two-thirds vote for the rati-
fcation which is not generally accept
able to the entire country. This is as
it should be. The president should be
satisfied with the powers which are
properly his under the Constitution.
Lincoln was president in a much more
critical period in American history,
and he was content to exercise his
constitutional prerogatives.
To attempt to take from the United
States senate its constitutional prerog-
atives is an attack upon American
free government.
CHARLES DICK.