The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1949-04-19
Miss Roman Went
AS Far AS Finals
I'm Tallahassee, Wins
$1O0 From Legion

$1O0 From Legion
| Miss Inza-Nell Roman, Ameri-
can Legion 0ratorical Cham
/ pion, gave her inspiring prepared
Grafton on the u. S. Constitution
at the regular meeting of Ar
thur Sawyer Post No. % held
Wednesday evening.
/ Miss Roman won second place
at the State Finals held in Talla-
lhassee ON April LIST. Post Conn
mander George A. Warren pre-
sented Miss Roman with check
| in the amount of $780,, which was
the prize for second place win
ner.
Believing readers of The Key
/ West Citizen are interested in
what Miss Roman had to say in
| going so far in, the Legion Ora
torical contests. her speech, 'The
Observation-Disclosures Against
Tyranny, is herewith presented
in full: Is.
We, the people of the United
States, in order to form a more
perfect union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, pro-
vide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare, and
secure the blessings of liberty
to ourselves and our, posterity, do
| ordain and establish this consti-
tuition for the United States of
America.
These liberty upholding phras-
es from the opening sentence Of
the greatest document of govern
mental principles that the world
| has ever Witnessed; the Preamble
to the Constitution of the United
States of America.
Down thru 158 years of dis
couraging obstacles and seeming
~ overwhelming problems, the
fundamental soundness of the
working principles of the consti-
tuition has been proved in prac-
tice. We find it today as protec-
tor of liberty, an upholder of
| rights and as we'll forming the
most impregnable line of defense
in the face of tyranny.
In its very. form, it is apparent
that the Constitution is the great
est instrument : of our govern
mental security. The. makers of
our Constitution aimed at the
idea that a government should
have only limited and enumerat-
ed powers. The final result of the
application of this idea, gave us
a division of powers in such "a
way that none would be supreme.
These powers We're shared
among the legislative. the judici-
al, and the executive depart
ments. With these 3 separate and
distinct ruling bodies, we find the
basis for our system of govern
ing The executive department
consists of the President, his cab
met and Vice President, with
the president as the head of the
eecutive department.
The Legislative department is
separated into 2 divisions of the
law making bodies, the Senate,
and the House of Representatives.
Solely in this branch is vested the
power of making laws.
The Supreme Court, which
heads the judiciary department,
constitutes the third branch of
our government, and possesses
the. exclusive power of determin-
ing whether the other two are act
| ing in accordance with the Con-
stitution. The outstanding factor.
which makes our Constitution
such a safeguard against 0ppres-'
sion can be found in the fact that
due to each departments limited
power it Isl forced to cooperate
with the other two to- assure the.
| fullest realization of its own.
rights. This combination achieves
a unique balance in government,
commonly known as the check
and balance system.
For example. could the head
of our Executive Department, the
President, ever have the desire
or daring to become a tyrant?
Suppose he wished to make him
self the head of the army and
navy as dictator. Where would
he obtain the money to support
such venture? The Constitution
states that the Congress is the
only lawful power that has the
right to appropriate money for
Armies and Navies. 1t is within
the jurisdiction of Congress to or
ganize, arm and discipline the
Militia. Moreover. if the Presi-
dent were to tyranize by the act
of appointments, Congress has
the last decision, for it is the
duty of the Legislative Depart
ment to either approve or disap-
prove any appointments made by
the chief executive. Here we find
the hands of the executive de-
partment tied if it desired to be-
come a tyrant.
On the other hand, would it
be possible for the Legislative
branch of our government to
gain an oppressive foothold?
Again, thanks to the check and