Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-27
ONE NAN TAXING POWER

THE Congressional Record shows
L that, aside from the criticism
of embargo rates in the highest
tariff bill ever proposed in an
American congress-, the democratic
opposition severely criticised the
proposal to delegate the taxing
power of congress to n man, so
that he could raise or lower taxes
at his will, even though that man
was president of the United States.
Our own Senator Walsh made a
powerful speech in opposition to
this feature of the bill, and both
the Montana senators voted against
the bill. Our Washington political
correspondent says that greater
than the objection that comes from
within the republican party and the
prospective beneficiaries of the
profiteers' bill is that which has
already been voiced by democrats
and others who regard the aliena-
ton of the powers and authority of
congress to the executive as a vio-
lation of the constitution and a dam
gerous precedent. Senator Under
wood and other democratic leaders
have pointed to this danger. Con-
troll of taxation and Of fiscal legis-
lation by the law-naking body has
been a fundamental principle Of the
government of English-speaking
peoples for six centuries. The re-
publican senate has now for the
first time in the history of the
United States Haunted this princi-
pie.
Senator Walsh of Montana, who is
recognized as one of the greatest
constitutional lawyers in this coun-
try, says that the republican senate
has surrendered the functions OF
congress to the president, and
quotes Mr.. Harding himself--he
was then a senator-in condemna-
ton Of such a proposal. Senator
Walsh read into the Congressional
Record Mr.. Harding's W utter
ance on the subject. Mr.. Harding
said in 1918:
IF the senate of the United
States is going to accept an execu-
tive mandate and pass this bill Gone
permitting the transfer of the pow
ers of one department to another
upon the presidents order), with
every suggestion of amendment re.
fused, congress can only fittingly
complete the program by delegatine
the taxing and appropriation power
adjourn and go home"
What President (then senator)
Harding opposed in 1918 was
blanket authority enabling the pres
ident to distribute the powers anc
duties of executive departments al
ready under his control. The re
publican senate has done a vastly
more radical and serious thing
They have vested in the presiden'
the authority to levy taxes and fiji
the amount that the taxpayer shall
pay. To bestow any such power
on the president is a dangerous nov
city that ~traverses the constitution
the traditions and the practices Of
the American government from tn,
beginning.
Senator Underwood, in an able
appraisal of the proposition and it:
menace, said:
"It is a plea of guilty to tn,
charge of incompetency whenever
the congress of the United States
passes a measure delegating its con
stitutional powers to the executive
branch of the government, as 1t pro
poses to do in this pending amend
ment.
more than that, outside the con
stitutional question, outside of thu
shameful confession that is beini
made by the congress of the Unite'
States in advocating the surrende
of its powers, I oppose this propo
sition because it is very dangerou
to the people of the United State
to put into the hands of the execu
tive-and / am not criticising tn,
present chief executive; there i
no personal political allusion il
what I intend to say; I will appl.
the remarks to all the executive
we have had in the past and to al
we may have in the future-I sa,
it is very dangerous to place thi
! great power of taxation in the hand
of any n man."
In the same speech Senator Un
derwood said:
mo man will know who write