New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-18

which subtle autocracy, protesting
publicity but practicing secrecy, has
already gone in subverting the plain
intent of our basic law.
VASTLY more important and far more
menacing to our own popular institu
tions than even this distressing ex-
ample is the proposal to transfer, by
one department of the government to
another. AS all are we'll aware, the
Constitution vests in Congress exclu-
sively the power to declare war, but
it also declares that a duly executed
treaty 'shall be the supreme law Of the
land Precedent and practice, more
over, make it incumbent upon one de-
partment of the government TO mako
effective any agreement duly entered
into under given authority by another
Under Article x Of the Versailles
covenant, now being subjected to a
solemn referendum, it would be the
appointee and representative of the
President, not Of Congress nor of the
people, who would either acquicsce in
or reject o proposition in the council
Of the league to uphold by force of
arms the cause of one power against
another.
ut comes down, then, to this: Do
the American people want to transfer
the war-making power in practice from
the Congress to the President? That
is what acceptance of Article x Of the
covenant as the supreme law Of the
land would do. Whether such accept
ance would violate the letter Of the
Constitution is, perhaps, q question.
That it would violate the spirit Of the
Constitution there can be no question
IN any honest mind in all the land.
Paramount Issue Defined
"The Constitution or the covenant
that, my countrymen, is the paramount
issue. The two are irreconcilable. We
cannot be governed from both Geneva
ana Washington. We cannot follow our
present Chief Magistrate without for
saking the Father of Our Country
We cannot pin our faith to hazy visions
OF the future without putting out of
mind the stern realities of the past.
We can and shall do right, as we al
ways have done right, by our fellow
men the world over, but the question
Immediately confronting US is our own,
to be decided by ourselves.
Under the Constitution we have
rrospered ana developed. Under the
Constitution we have kept alive the
watch fires Of freedom and have main
tanned the open door of liberty. Under
the Constitution we have seen millions
" people, SelI-BOVerneO, sell -conCrOlled,
work out their destiny in ordered lib
erty. Under the Constitution we have
worshipped God in accordance with
conscience, without let or hindrance,
and we have seen the reins of power
transferred from hand to hand in
hloodless revolution at the behest Of
the people. Under the Constitution we
have welcomed the oppressed or un-
fortunate of every land and shared
with those who desired and deserved
our heritage and citizenship. Under
our Constitution, with the amendments
SO readily made when major sentiment
ls evoked, every man and every woman
may have an equal voice and vote in
the government which they help estab-
lish, maintain and direct. Under it the
rights of each and all are guaranteed.
Every citizen is made, so far as our i'm
perfect human nature permits. safe in
his person, his property, his rights of
every kind
mo honest man who loves his kind
can ask more than that Where he does
not receive that, the fault is all or
rarity mis- own, and flows not from
failure Of plan of government, but from
failure Of performance"