The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-01-30

Comparative statistics show that III
Legislature Is still behind on its pro
! gram, although more head~ay ha
, been made during the last week.
senator Dillinghsm's Speech
Legislating was laid aside in boil
houses Of the General Assembly O
Vermont during the greater part o.
J Friday morning 10 listen in join
. assembly to message delivered b,
J the Hon. William p, Dillingham;, fol
the past Is years United States sen
ator from Vermont. Senator Dilling
ham centered his message upon "cer
tain elements in public affairs which
II fostered. will work badly for the
history Of the country and Of the
world" His arguments were agains,
the continuance Of centralized govern
4 meni in the bands Of the chief execu-
tive Of the nation, such as had been
delegated TO the President as war
measures, but which, Senator Dilling-
ham thinks are dangerous as general
principle.
Senator Dillingham; reviewed the
Inauguration Of constitutional govern
ment as represented in the United
States and dwelt upon the importance
Of maintaining the powers delegated
to the sovereign State under the con-
stitution. He enumerated the definite
and clear-cut powers which the Con-
stitution Of the United States gives to
the federal government, and maintain
ed that all powers not so delegated to
the central government should be re-
tanied and made use of by the separ-
ate States, as the federal constitution
provides.
Speaking for fully an hour and a
half, Senator Dillingham; gave his au-
dience clean-cut conception of what
had been going on in Washington dur
ing the last few months, especially
since the United States came into the
war, and that his message went home
to the lawmakers in the Legislature
of Vermont was evidenced by the close
attention and generous applause which
it received
Senator Dillingham; made a clear
and unmistakable definition of the
rights of the State governments and
Of the federal government and called
attention to the extraordinary powers
conferred on the President by the war,
powers which he, like most other men,
was likely to perpetuate.
"The war;" said Senator Dillingham;,
twas responsible for many excesses in
government The constitution was I'M
vaded repeatedly under the argument
of war necessity. We ought TO get
back TO the old basis. The general
government ought TO stop dominating
the States.
There is no government so safe as
government right here close at hand,
no government like self-government.
What do the Rocky Mountain States
know or care about the requirements
and needs of Vermont ?"
The senator traced the progress of
the growth of presidential and depart
ment power in Washington up to the
time when the cables, six days after
the signing of the armistice, were tax
en- over by Postmaster-General Burle-
son and the order dated back to No
vember 2.
"Why were they taken over ?" asked
the speaker. "All know is that when
go TO the war department to find out
something about some of our boys over
there, can't find out because the
cables are too burdened to get me the
You're reading in the
what those cables are
burdened with" (Applause.)
Tracing the history Of the taking
over Of the railroads and the big de-
felt of $3.50, 900, 900 in the first year of
government control the senator said
that the railroad unions bull-dozed /
Congress into voting for the Adamson
5il under threat Of nationwide
strike.
"The majority of the Senate voted
for IT," said Senator Dillingham;. u
didn't" (Applause.)
The speaker pointed out that if the /
government permanently takes over |
he railroads and the wires 1t would {
mean one-ffth OF the entire presiden- :
.ial vote, or enough to control any
election. Z
Position on Suffrage !
Making his position clear on the I
yoman suffrage amendment 10 the d
'ederal constitution, Senator Dilling- Z
nam said that the suffragists had q
transferred all their activities TO
and maintained lobby, I
which, outside Of the Anti-Saloon
.eaguc lobby had never been equalied t