Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-01
@zAee5.ss>
EAsr4azW
Our Statesmen and the Constitution.

Our Statesmen and the Constitution
| York, Neb., Feb. rs, - To the
| Editor of The Bee. l believe this
is a good time to revise our epitaph
and epithet list, as~used in speaking
| OF the senators who We believe are
standing out against great odds for
the good and the safety of America.
do not believe it Just or in line of
fact to call them the names they
have been called, or the way in
which their motives have been so
often questioned. When men say
that II we fail to ratify as now writ
ten the League government will
| throw the world back a hundred
years. don't believe them, and
have my reasons for not believing
them, and it is no slap at their mo-
tives to say that, for, If they do say
1t, think they are mistaken.
/, Men point with pride TO the record
this great nation has made in acting
the big brother for the nation or
people that were down or being
struck down, or, being down, were
trying to get up. And I feel just
as much pride in that record as they
do, and have every reason to believe
she Is stronger in her purposes for
right today than ever before, and
ii she is left free to act on the side
of right, ''as God gives her to see
the right the world need have no
fear of what she will do when the
times comes for action. But to tie
up her hands in league SO drawn
that the empires of today can be
held intact for all time, when the
cry of races are like the cry OF the
individual for their rights, we would
be already bound to Choke the cry
of freedom instead of helping to
make it come true.
Now, gentle reader. don't think
this is overdrawn, for it is not.
Article 10; "the very heart of the
league" was drawn for that very
purpose, 1 surely believe. And If
you do not believe it,, then read it
again, and then read Article IL;
then read the last four lines of
Article 13 and the middle clause Of
the 18th. Also the first few lines
of the 3rd or last clause of Article
16. Now read the Goth article and
see how easy it is going to be to
get this instrument changed. after
you are in and fast in the stocks.
Then get out the old Constitution of
the United States, defining the du-
ties and powers of congress, and
harmonic it with the Covenant of
the League of Nations. And the Con-
stitution is the only document under
which congress gets its rights and
charter of action and they are
sworn to uphold and defend 1t.
Then, pray tell me. how they can
pass any law or sign away any of it's
provisions to- the control Of other
nations or persons.
The fact is congress nor either
branch of our government can not
of themselves change that docu-
ment, though they may ignore its
provisions, just like every law we
have Is set aside by those who find
it in the way of their wants. But
the governments of Europe are not
constitutional governments, and,
while their delegates to such doings
can act for their own opinion, our
men are bound (of are supposed to-
be) by the Constitution to act on
and In accord Herewith.
So I am making the prediction
that the next generation will mark
these much abused men the real
statesmen Of their day and time.
They are not as much abused as
some of the men of the past, who
today loom large on Americas big
honor roll. And every mile post we
make away from their day they only
tower the larger above their fellows,
while their traducers of their time
only shrink in like ratio.
Now we have another picture on
the screen. These men that objected
to doing something they were
strictly forbidden by the Constitu.
ton to do, and acting under their
oath, must be assailed with names
and epithets for not taking what
they could not rightly do, and be
blamed for breaking the heart Of
the world" while Mr.. Wilson is now
intimating that II the rest of the
league members do something he
does not like. we will not enter the
league, and his grounds are not
such as conflict with our law or his
duties, but Just his opinion to cease
calling the other men names /
think II Is. FRANKLIN POPE.