Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-09-14

every enlightened judgment demanded
that at whatever cost of independent
action, every government that took
thought for its people or for Justice
or for freedom should lend itself to a
new purpose and utterly destroy the
old order of international policies.
Shall we or any other free people
hesitate to accept this great duty?
Dare we reject it and break the heart
of the world?
1T is thus that a new role and a
new responsibility have come to this
great nation that we honor and which
we would all wish to lift to yet high
er levels of service and achievement.
The stage is set, the destiny dis
closed. 1t has come about by no plan
of our conceiying, but by the hand of
God, who led us into his way.
I'VE cannot turn back. We can
only go forward, with lifted eyes and
freshened spirit to follow the vision.
It was of this that we had dreamed
at our birth. America shall in truth
show the way. The light streams
upon the path ahead and nowhere
else"
These were intended to be fine
wordsl But how hideous are they
when we consider the record of Yer
sailles, the petty trickery, the broken
promises, the bartered principles, the
shattered hopes, the betrayal of this
nations independence which the Pres
ident sought to sanctify by the decla-
ration that it was God who led the
way The sessions at Versailles had
not even been opened with a prayer.
"The stage is set, the destiny dis
closed!" Let the senate forget its
duty, its oath, its honorl Let it fol-
low the vision of Columbia shackeled
to European chariots of conquest.
with lifted eyes and freshened spir-
it" let it abandon the heritage of the
Fathersl Away with the constitu-
ton! Away with independence! Away
with all that Washington dreamed
at our birth" of this nations sover-
eighty among the powers of the earth!
The light streams upon the path
ahead"-yes, the light of burning cit
les, the light of new wars, revealing
vista of American soldiers dying
in alien conflicts of foreign battle
fieldsl
To this cause the president, "acting
in his own name and by his own
proper authority" had given his
word 1t remained only for the SEN
ate to ratify it.
Now such a ratification is no mere
form. 1t is no mere ceremony of
countersigning a presidential pledge.
It is a responsibility as great as any
presidents. 1t is an obligation i'm
posed upon the senate by the consti-
tuition of the United States. 1t is no
mere hedge upon a presidents plans
A single clause of the constitution
reposes the treaty-making power of
the United States in the president and
in the senate. Paragraph 2 of Sec
ton ii of the Second Article of the
constitution prescribes:
He Cthe president) shall have
power, by and with the advice and
of the senate, to make treat /
les, provided two-thirds of the sena-
tors present concur"
The authority could not be stated
more plainly or more simply. 1t is 1
no question of mere concurrence. "By /
md with the advice and consent Of /
he senate" says the constitution. Nor
s that all. In this advice and con-
sent" two-thirds of the senators pres
mt must concur before the treaty can
'e binding upon the people and the /
government of the United States.
That constitutional provision is notice
o all the world that the presidents
word alone-unfortified by this adj
ice, consent and concurrence-is not
he word of the people of the United
states. 1t is solely the presidents
word and nothing more.
1t is false that the peace conferees
we're misled into believing that the
resident had plenary powers and that
he people of the United States had
iven him a mandate that OVERRIDE
he constitution. Owing to the cen
orship, the people of Europe may
ave believed this, but not their dele
ates at the peace table. These dele
ates knew the terms of the constitu-
ion of the United States and they
new that it was only the presidents ,
ord that they had. and they took. !
r pretended to take, that word as {
nal because by so doing, they hoped !
make the American people feel I
ommitted to the presidents policies. ,
The senate cannot waive its con- /