The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-06-27
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BY Harold Knutson
An Amazing proposal

One day last week Senator Pep
per Of Florida, who Is generally
looked upon as one of the Presi-
dents spokesman in the Senate,
being very close to the Admins
tration, presented seven point
plan under which the President
would be given extraordinary pow
ers. In fact the plan would give
Mr.. Roosevelt dictatorial authority
such as is now enjoyed only by
Hitler, Mussolini and Stain. Under
Senator Peppers plan the Presi-
dent could spend and spend with
out regard to the legal limitation
placed upon our national debt; he
could set aside laws which guar
antee personal liberty, freedom of
speech, the press etc. Then, too,
he could suppress mass meetings as
they did in our state back in 1917.
The powers that Senator Pepper
seeks to confer upon the President
would make the old Minnesota
Safety Commission look like a
babe in swaddling clothes. Anyone
expressing opposition to the poll
cies or acts of Mr.. Roosevelt could
be informed and perhaps sentenced
to Jail or prison. Under its opera
ton would probably have to dis
continue my weekly letters to the
folks back home. Senator Peppers
seven+point program follows:
1. Confer upon the President full
wartime power to prepare and
defend America.
2. Universal defense service so
that every citizen may be best
trained and placed for the coun-
try's defense.
8. Confer upon the President pow
er to suspend all rules, regulations,
and statutes, including army, navy
and departmental seniority regu-
lations, which in his judgment in
terfere with the maximum speed
in the production, transportation,
or manufacture of defense mater
ial.
4. Confer upon the President the
power to suspend the present debt
limitation, If in his judgment such
limitation interferes with the max
imum speed of the defense pro-
gram.
S. Grant the President the author
ity to aid in material or credit
those countries and nations which
In his judgment at this time con-
stitute Americas first line of de-
Tense.
6. The President and the Congress
to begin Immediately the prepare
ton and adoption of defense
budget and tax program adequate
to the national defense.
7. Confer in the President the
power to take into custody for the
duration Of the defense effort all
aliens whose freedom would, in his
opinion, jeopardize the defense
program.
Our fathers came to this country
to get away from the very things
that Senator Pepper would now in
flict upon us. All in all we have
been getting along pretty well in
this country and I know of moth
ing that has been offered to us as
a substitute that begins to COM
pare to what we now have-po-
litically, socially and economically.
There is little doubt in the minds
of many that the sinister influ,
ences working behind the Presi-
dents shadow seek to impose up
on us system of reorganization
that Is autocratic and altogether
foreign to our concept Of represen-
tative government.
The folks back home are aware
Of the danger. The other day I re-
ceied a letter from a prominent
lawyer in the central part of the
Sixth District. He and his family
have been long life Democrats, but
he is very much disturbed over
the present trend. He wrote me