The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-03-18

WA ~~o 10 AopCAOoS, IuclT uoIiOu
permanently bankrupt, and you
add German technical skill and di-
rccting ability to the Russian
maelstrom. Latest cables indicate
that the Berlin crowd il demand
ing Soviet rule and alliance with
Russia.
Russia and Germany united
against the rest of Europe might
make the rest of Europe worth
less than ten cents on the dollar.
Ths English, French and Italians
know it.
Mr.. Obregon, of Mexico, says Mr..
Carranxa's government intends to
make Mexico "safe for Americans. I"
More power to the kind intention.
But isn't it the job of the Ameri-
can Government to make Mexico
safe for Americans? England is
able to mako the whole world safe
Tor an Englishman.
The wealth Of euphemism is in
creased by the coroner's decision
declaring that Ruth Randall killed
Captain Bleyer. Whoever wrote
that decision could have reported
the Thaw case for the Christian
Herald without losing a reader.
The murdered man was found in
bed with q bullet hole in his tenn
pie. Ruth Randall, who committed
suicide, was lying beside him with
q bullet in her head. The verdict
describes the dead man as the
lady's 'eintimate friend and asso-
ciate." There's refined English
for you.
The Supreme Court says Gov
ernment cannot tax stock divi-
dends.
(, Congress plans to tax stock divi-
dends anyhow. A financier asks:
"Will Congress PRESUME to
override the Supreme Court ?"
1t will, indeed, if it is q Con-
gress of men, not monkeys or pup
pets. The business of Congress is
to make laws and to lay taxes.
The business of the Supreme
Court is to say what laws are con-
stitutional. d.
When the Supreme Court inter-
prets the Constitution in favor of
slavery, as it did in the Dred Scott
~o.o CopDrocc nuarr,loc tho C,
preme Court with a constitutional
amendment.
When the Supreme Court puts
itself on the side Of capital, as it
did in forbidding any income tax,
Congress again overrules the Su-
preme Court.
And when, as now, the Supreme
Court again puts itself by a bare
majority on the side of capital, as
in the stock dividend decision,
Congress must once more by ordi-
nary legislation, If possible, by
constitutional amendment, if ne
,cessary, overrule the Supreme
Court.
The Supreme Court is a referee,
not a lawmaker. It's body of
paid employees, not of dictators.
II you owned sand bank, had
men and horses to work it, needed
sand to make concrete, and the
dealers in sand sold you half
what you needed. charging you
two prices, what would you do?
You would go into your own
sand bank, dig out your sand, or
your neighbors would call you an
idiot,
What would you call Uncle Sam,
who needs oil for his navy, owns
millions of acres containing oil,
is charged double price for what
he wants, can only get half what
he needs, AND DOES NOTHING
ABOUT IT?
Not only does the Government
: fail to drill, getting its own oil,
its own gasoline, filling its require
>ments and protecting its citizens
from extortion, but. as climax of
idiocy, it turns over the peoples
, oil lands to private exploiters,
Presently you will be reading that
those gentlemen have doubled the
price Of gasoline and oil, and can
not spare what the Government
needs.
To say that a Government as
powerful as this not protecting
itself or its citizens from extor-
ton is idiotic is putting it mildly.
The French have just discovered
new deposits of coal. badly needed
in spite of the fact that France
took the best coal mines from Ger
many. Do you think France will
turn over these coal deposits to
private individuals, that will say to
the French government: "We can't
supply your" Not for a moment.
The French government is no
idiot, and the FRENCH people
would not stand the nonsense that
this American Republic endures.