The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-18
Overman Bill Gives Wilson Au-
tOcratic Hand, Says Watson.
Senator Declares ReOrganiza'
ton Plan Unconstitutional.
new ERA AMONG RAILWAYS
Old System of Competition 1,
Gone Forever, He Says.
Deal Generously With Rail
roads Now, Is Suggestion.

Washington, Feb. 1S-Provisions of
the Overman bill giving President
Wilson wide powers to reorganize the
war branches f the government were
denounced as Unconstitutional and
"autocratic" by Senator Watson today
in the course eff a speech in support
of the senate draft of the administra-
tons railroad bill.
THE Overman BILL declared Sen
ator Watson, 'confers upon the presi-
dent unheard of powers, many of
which to my mind are entirely I'M
justifiable but the most reprehensible
feature Of that measure, in my judg-
ment, is the one that provides that his
autocratIc authority shall continue for
one year after the termination of the
war.
why this provision? Why seek in
mat measure, as in the railroad bill,
to perpetuate power asked to prose-
cute the war into the days when there
shall be no war? These are not con-
stltutional; they are not in harmony
WIN the spirit of our institutions: thew
are 1rreconcilably opposed to every
theory or our government. They are
III, american on another hypothesis.
They have no place in our neace &C.
tdollsnments and every patriot should
cry out against these efforts to take
advantage of the extreme necessities
Oh war 10 seize unlimited authority to
De used for some purpose in the davs
of peace. '"
After the War.
am willing to confer upon the
president, the Indiana senator CON
t1nued, all the powers necessarv To
win this war; 1 have voted for sew
eral measures, the necessity of which
l oouoted because he stated that the
authority sought was essential to the
successful prosecution of this conflict:
but L am not yet convinced that in
order to win this war it is necessary to
CONFER upon the president these ire
rnendous powers for a period of peace
long after the conflict shall have
ceased
10 that end let US firmly resolve
that with the proclamation of peace
the president shall surrender all the
vast powers willingly conferred upon
MN by an aroused people because of
the exigent necessities of war: that
this nation shall return to the kind of
republic founded by the revered faith
ers of the union"
senator Watson approved the pro-
vision in the railroad bill limiting
government control over the railroads
TO eighteen months after the war but
opposed the administrators original
proposal to leave this period indefin-
tie.
New Railroad Era.
In his opinion Senator Watson said
the awr will mark a new era in rail-
road management.
Il believe the old system of COM
petition is gone forever; that the Sher-
man antitrust law, so far as it affects
railroad combination, will be repealed;
that anti-pooling laws directed at rail-
road operations in SO far as they af-
feet the transportation systems of the
country will be abrogated and plan
will be adopted which will give the
government practical control of
American railroads without the weak
ness and the inefficiency incident to
government ownership. Adoption of
the standard compensation provided in
the bill was also urged by Senator
Watson. He declared it bette. under
existing circumstances to deal gener-
ously with the railroads than to have
eighteen billions of properties plunged
into litigation
TT may be necessary he added
'to carry out this vast project, for the
! president to raise the rates. and he
should be given the power to assume
the initiative in this undertaking. 1t
. follows that the control and operation
should be placed in the hands of the
executive department of the govern
| ment in order properly to finance the
operations of all the railroads"