The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1919-03-08
NO ROOM FOR EDWARDS

the foundations of what has become the greatest and the
freest nation the world has known, there are today too many
who would treat lightly The responsibilities that are laid upon
those who now compose the United States senate. In thei
eagerness for a thing they have not tested, even by the test
of full public discussion, they would muzze the nlnety-slx
senators, elected by the people, if they could fasten upon the
nation for all time a policy that one man, already repudiated
by a majority of the people, has championed abroad with ut
ter independence of the other branch of the government whose
responsibilities are equal to his own.
The Tribune is not opposed to a league of nations or
any other plan that will insure the peace of the world or con-
tribute to that end. And neither is any other American
worthy of the name.
But the Tribune is opposed to any plan that will not
stand the test of full and free discussion.
1t is opposed to any abridgement of this discussion under
the plea of haste.
1t has nothing but contempt for the reference to "a lit
tie coterie of senator's" who would "embarrass the president
b2 public debate of the question while he is engaged with
the peace congress abroad"
It would have nothing but contempt for any senator cow
aadly enough to yield to such effort toward suppression.
The Tribune also believes, with millions of others, that
a league of nations or any other plan that cannot stand on
its own merits, without depending upon a peace treaty for
its ratification; that is not sufficiently understood and suf-
ficiently safe to secure ratification by itself; that can not
stand alone in the fiercest light of public scrutny-that plan
or that league ought to fail.
There was no man who had more to do with the fOrma-
ton and the adoption of the constitution under which Presi-
dent Wilson is acting than Alexander Hamilton, Washington's
devoted friend. And at this time, more than at any other in
our ulStOT3 SlC dSHIuStO liz 1IuuiI1O1 oA AiuAHHH
and their confrerees gave us the immortal document. that
made this nation and Woodrow Wilson'S visit to Europe pos
sible-in this day more than at any other since their time
it is well to ask why they denied to any one man or to any
one branch of the government they formed, the power to
bind this Nation under any treaty agreement with any other
nation.
And Alexander Hamilton tells us why.
y X
Let all of us suppress our excitement long enough to
read it and then re-read it and then read it again. Here are
the reasons that governed Washington, and Hamilton, and
Franklin, and Madison, and those others whose wisdom gave
us all we have of liberty and power and nationality and indie
pendence:
The president is t. have power, "BY AND WITH THE
ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE, TO MAKE TREAT
les, PROVIDED TWOTHIRDs OF THE SENATORS PRES
ENT CONCUR"
Though this provision has been assaned o. different
grounds with n o small degree of vehemence. 1 sruple not to
declare my firm persuasion that it is N O the best g@ted
and most unexcephonabe parts of the plan One ground for
objection is the triple topic of the intermixture of powers.
som contending that the president ought alone to possess the
! power OF making treaties, others that it ought to have cen
exclusively deposited in the nate. Another source Of objec-
ton is derived from the small number of persons by whom
a treaty may be made.
With regard to the imtermtture of powers, the particular
nature o the power OF making treaties indicates a peculiar
propnety in that plan. Though several writer's on the subject
of government place that power in the class of executive u
thorities, yet this is evidently a arbitrary disposition; TO If
we attend carefully o its operation. it will be found to partake
more of the legislative than IF IN executive character, though
it does nt seem strictly to fall within the definition Of either
of them. The essence Of the Legislative authority is t. enact
laws. O in other words, to prescribe rules for the regulation
of society; while he execution of the laws, and the employ
ment of the comm strength. either for this purpose n fol
the common defense, seem o comprise all functions OF
executive magistrate.
The OF making treaties is, plainly, neither the N
the other. 1t relates neither to the execution of the sub
sising laws to the enactment of new ones, and still less to
a exerton of the common strength. Its objects are contracts
with foreign nations. which have the force of law but derive