The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-17
Help Anyway.

To the Editor, The Washington HerlIl:
If / were a Congressman and
saw a means of saving human life,
through exercise of Legislative au-
thority, from miserable suffering
and death, would waste little
time finding whether or not such
authority had been expressly given
me. II I could not do IL by virtue
OF the Constitution of the United
States, I would do IL by virtue OF
brute strength and the power Of
vote placed in my hands: and
depend upon the human kindness
and judgment of my constituents
to back me up in my decision. II
they did not. / would conclude that
beings so selfish as to try to with
hold aid from, famine stricken
countries not blest with equally
favorable conditions, in order that
the former might live in greater
comfort and luxury, were not ca
pable of absolute elf-government:
a9d that taking the case in my
ON hands was, for that reason.
a the more eminently justifiabIe.
constitutions which overlook our
duty to other nations ought to be
changed: and il there is no time
to change them there is nothing
Ia do but to take the less of two
evils-the commission OF an act by
cur Representatives which We did
not authorize them to door al
lowing 100000 men, women and
babies. the latter in no way re-
sponsible for their condition, to en-
dure an existence worse than
death. Surely the exigency of fam
inc is no less cogent than that
of war. And il Abraham Lincoln
had stopped every time the Con-
stitution apparently forbade him,
we fear there would now be no
United States.
1t is pardonable to exhibit ones
Constitutional erudition and to
manifest to the world that we had
thought of something which the
other fellow had overlooked. But
some OF us take such pride in it
that We are liable to underesti-
mate other much more, important
factors-especially the feelings OF
the other fellow. We are inclined
to denominate as mush and sob q.
stuff the little milk of human
kindness which the human race
has managed to evolve. merely be-
cause we fail on certain occasi
to feel the sympathy ourselves. But
it is rather a testimony OF our
own selfish nature. The best way
to arrive at the truth is to ask,
IF L were a starving Russian
mother. would I be as anxious as
against an act Of mercy"
nm mn ID.
STA is an excess Of the rights le-
gally given to Congress by its con-
stituency, then for Heavens sake
let US. as individual members Of
that constituency. forget and over
look II. What 10 little thing like
that to the suffering that we can
alleviate? Suppose it is Illegal
gre nting that Consress cannot ella,
"ify as general welfare" to the
t-nited States the creation OF cor
fidence in this country among othe,
nations: is the commission of an
unauthorized act the greatest dis.
aster which can befatl humanity:
Is IL greater than human torture
And il II is less in both amour,
and degree. why insist that Il Is
wrong because II does slight IL.
gal injustice to us? Tie final test
of an act iss"will II do more harm
than good- ! know of no dire
calamity following a tax Of TWEEN.
ty cents per capita.
II Chief Justice Clark recog.
nized that the United States, which
bore such small part in the world
war buruen in comparison with Eu.
rope, ought to cancel the debts Of
the allies, let us be thankful Of
having justices with n sense ~
proportion. and "a conscience not
limited by GEOGRAPHY; and let us
also hope that they will look upon
our gift to Russia the same way
We shall not In any respect be
setting a bad precedent. BECAUSE
an act committed under extendat-
ing circumstances Is not ID prece.
dent for the same act committed