, 1923-03-16

by the Democratic party under the leadership of
Mr.. Wilson. Mr.. Harding was a member of the
senate at that time. He spoke as one fully apprised
of the constitution prerogative Of that body. and
as one completely in sympathy with the senate's
insistence upon tho exercise OF its constitutional
rights. 1t had been repeatedly charged in the cam,
paign that he was a member of the senate oil.
garchy" and that he would if elected, continue 10
be a member of that so-called oligarchy. In speak.
ing to this point. Mr.. Harding told the Ohio Iegis.
lators:
IL do not hesitate to say that the senate saved
American nationality in 1919 and 1920 when the
executive proposed to surrender it. The senate
preserved our independence OF action when the
executive insisted that a foreign council should
decide our future place in the activities of the
world and call us to war and our destiny.
1T has become quite the fashion among un.
needing partisans OF Democratic faith to cry out
against the senate and the part it plays in the
federal government. One might as we'll proclaim
the Constitution a fraud. The senate is in reality
the security of stable popular government. = - =
In cartoon, in solemn editorial, in MANI utter
ances on the platform, it has been suggested that
in case of Republican victory, the incoming presi.
dent proposes TO permit the senate TO have some
say in determining the policy of the government.
l gladly proclaim all these suggestions to be liter
ally correct.
IF a Republican administration is chosen next
November you can be very certain that the senate,
theoretically, if not actually, composed of 96
leading men of the repubiIc, will have something
to say about the foreign relations as the Constitu-
tton contemplates. " y / want America to UNI
derstand that a Republican administration stands
unalterably, avowedly and completely for Consti-
tutional government with the recognized and con.
sistent powers of the Legislative and judicial
branches OF the government as well as that of the
executive. =
81 want representative popular government in
dependable public opinion conducted through the
fact, not merely in name. l want an end to dicta-
ton in America and the resumption of the rule of
representatives of the people chosen for that ex-
plicit purpose.
"There has been a fevered tendency of humanity
in recent years to completely alter everything
which has gone before. We have that new cult in
American politics which proclaims everything that
Is, is bad, and suggests that everything that is to
be, will be divine.
1--WE had a period of popular resentment of the
existence of our courts and for n time there was
a suggestion that we should submit their decisions
to popular sanction else they could not abide.
There is not very much choice between venomous
assaults on the integrity of the courts and the
momentary clamor about eliminating the senate
from responsibility in federal government.
az do not know whether the idea is one imported
from the peace council at Paris, or whether it is
a reflex of the mob mentality which has broken
out in revolutions in various places in Europe.
Our business is to hold America stable. Our task
is TO preserve popular representative constitutional
government in America"
In sending to the senate a message setting forth
the wisdom in his opinion of the United States
joining the Permanent Court of International JUS
tice and asking the senate's consent to negotiations
to that end, the president was doing two things.
FIRST, carrying out the provisions OF the United
States constitution, which clearly state that the
president shall have the power to make treaties
only "by and with the advice and consent of the
senate" and, second, carrying out his campaign
pledges that he would, if elected, observe the con-
stitutional provisions in this respect.
1t is something more than a coincidence that
those who are continually seeking to destroy the
nationality of the United States by joining it to the
League of Nations are also those who persist in
their desire for a one-man government in this coun-
try, which will be in violation of the Constitu-
ton and in defiance of the legislative branch of
the government, which the president truly said
ais the branch through which dependable public
opinion makes its wishes known"