Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-11-30

tH.sss
peace is at hand the President, as
bolievc, violates tho spirit, in fact
the letter, OF the act by which we
conferred this power upon him in
taking over tho express companies.
UNWILLING TO GIVE UP POWER.
''Wlly was this step taken? 1t was
taken in my belief simply because
the President Is loath to give us any
of the powers with which we have
clothed him and that those subordin-
ates about him, including those In
the cabinet, do not intend to relin-
quish that power unless compelled
to do so by Legislative action.
FL do not deem 1t to DO tho pro.
vince Of a minority party or Of any
individual member of it to offer crit
icisms of an Administration merely
for tho sake Of criticising. TO use
tho ordinary street expression l do
not believe in throwing monkey
wrench into machinery in order to
have the pleasure OF witnessing tho
destruction Of tho works. This is
especially true OF the Republican
party, because having always been
tho party Of aggression and Of con-
struction it ill-conforms with it's
character to take upon itself a cam
paign of nero criticism for tho
purpose Of obstruction.
"But while this is true generally,
it is also true that to gloss over Or
rors and to conceal mistakes may be
in the long run just as destructive,
because If mistakes and IL errors OF
q vital character arc concealed they
may become fostering sores that will
require moro drastic measures to
eradicate.
"Wo are also informed that by
proclamation tho President has taken
over tho cables. If what have said
with reference to the express COM
panies be true, with how much great
or force do these same words apply
to the cables"
The Indiana Senator reminded the
Senate at this point that during de-
bates on the proposal to take over
the telegraph, telephone and cable
lines last summer both the House
and Senate were repeatedly assured
by Administration spokesman that
the President had absolutely no In,
tention of taking over the cables.
LINKS ACTION WITH WILSON'S
TRIP ABROAD.
"Now after these declarations and
now after every hour Of emergency
has passed and peace has come upon
u.s." he continued, eve have tho
President of the United States vio-
lating, as | believe, again the letter
and tho spirit Of that law by taking
over the cables for Governmental
operation. 1t is exceedingly signi-
ficant that this action of taking over
the cables comes just at tho timo
whom the President Of tho United
States is about to visit Il foreign
country.
81 am not going to quarrel with
the decision Of the President about
going abroad. / do not believe it is
az unconstitutional act. 1t is new
and it is novel and i'll some respects
il wears aspects that are quite start
ling. do not believe there is any
necessity for his going abroad pro-
vided he were willing to conilde in
others as much as I believe he might
have at this time coniided to many
Of his qualified fellow citizens.
"Dut it is singulariy significant
that Just at the time tho President
is about to go abroad he takes over
the cables after having declined to
take them over during all the years
Of war and all the time OF storm ana
peril and when every necessity for
his having taken them over has
ceased, if, indeed, any necessity for
such action has evcr existed.
"Thercforc, wc are again left to
the wide field OF conjecture as to why
the President sees TT to take this
particular action at this particular
time. Certainly no one would claim
that he is taking them over as n
necessity Of war. Certainly no ono
will claim that this is in any wise
related to the war proposition, be-
cause there is no war, and because
all the time hostilities were in pro-
gress he declined to take them over.
During all that time private man.
agemcnt was doing all that needed to
be done both with the express COM
panies and with tho cables. How
can it be said that private manage
ment will fail now that the war is
over and the days OF peace have
come upon us?
SINISTER REASON SEEN IN THE
CABLE SEIZURE.
"The President might have taken
his fellow citizens into his confidence
and given his reasons for taking over
the cables. He has not seen fit to
do so. No man has arisen to give a
reason except the hidden and sinister
reason that it is part Of the general
policy Of government ownership and
that it is the opening door to the
existence Of n social state.
"It is quite significant that tho
President is taking with him as ono
Of his companions on his trip George
Creel, master of public instruction.
| take it for granted that when the
President leaves these shores he does
not intend that any man at the peace
table shall know what is being said
in the House Of Representatives and
on the floor of this body. I take it