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Show Saturday , April 7, 1917 UTAH LABOR NEWS Restriction of Power of Congress to Declare War Speech Delivered by Hon. Denver S. Church of California in the House of Eeprescntativeg. Mr. Speaker, on January 31 of this year I Introduced II. J. Reg. 128, which provides for a change of Article I, section 8, division 11, of the constitution of the United States, which section defines the powers of Congress to declare war. Congress has the power under this division and section of the constitution to declare war whenever It sees fit. I seek by this resolution to restrict this power and have provided in the proposed amendment that Congress shall have the power o declare war In cases of invasion or threatened invasion of the United States or any of its Insular possessions, by a foreign power; or in cAse of insurrection or revolution withjn the United States or any of its in sural possessions; or in other caseq where the matter of declaring war has been submitted to the people, and a majority of those voting have declared themselves in favor of the proposed war. - In other words, Congress shall have the right to declare war only in cases of emergency. In all other cases it shall be left to the people. Mr. Speaker, I consider this scheme the solution of the whole war proposition. The people of one nation seldom, if ever, want, to fight the people of another nation. It is the rulers of nations that bring on war. President Wilson, in his Chicago speech the other day, said: Rulers, not public opinion, brought on the present war in Europe. In my Judgment nine-tentof all the wars that have come in the past to "blight and curse the earth have been brought on by the rulers instead of by public sentiment of the people. The rulers of our country here in Washington changing as they frequent-i- v Ao every two, four, and six years, are Just apt to mistake newspaper agitation for public sentiment and bring on war as are the rulers of other lands. Remove the power of the President and Congress to bring on war except in cases of invasion, threatened invasion, revolution, . or threatened revolution, and nine-tentof the danger of war at any time is past. Adopt this plan and practically all who are objecting to preparedness will at once be satisfied. Most of our people believe In such a degree of preparedness as will enable us to drive away any foe or combination of foes that may infringe upon our rights;-bu- t all wise people fear that to establish a great fighting force and make it possible for it to be set in action at the will of the President or the members of Congress Is simply Inviting trouble of the most serious and nature. I am in favor of preparedness, but I would like to see all the money that is to be used In. carrying cut the plan of additional preparedness raised from those who are selling munitions of war to the belligerents and by an additional Income tax. The present scheme of preparedness, is based upon the necessity of greater protection, and I would like to see those who have the most to be protected supply most of the necessary hs hs far-reachi- ng Revenue. We are the richest and most powerful nation on earth; why not be prepared for emergencies that may arise? But by all means, in this government of the people, by the people, and for the people," let the people decide when it is time to exercise our great strength. Under the present plan the President, through his diplomatic communications and other constitutional powers, can bring on a war almost at will that the peoole have to fight. If the President happens' to be a wise man and a man of peace, there is not so much danger; but if he is an impulsive man and a man of war, which is frequently the case, the country ia in peril. ' Congress, that now has the constitutional power to declare war, is composed of senators and representatives who are exempt from war. If they were not, they are generally too old and fat and well fed to fight. Most of them would be a hindrance on a battle field. In face of a charge they would hardly escape being run over by the Red Cross, the newspaper boysi and the commissary department; and yet on the most trivial provocation we find a large minority of them anlious to bring on a war that other men must fight. Our present plan is neither safe nor fair. I hear much about the honor of our country, and I believe the honor of this country should be maintained; but I want to see the term honor defined by the men who have to maintain it. I would not like to have some fat fellow define my honor, tell me when it had been assailed, and then force me into a fight. No man should have to be a factor in his country's defense in time of war who was not a factor on election day in determining whether there should be war. War so vitally affects every citizen that I think every citizen should have a right to express his views as to whether there should be war. War Is the most important of all subjects. Why should not the people decide It? Why should not the interested parties decide the most interesting, to tfcem, of all subjects? If we enlarge our navy so it is fully adequate for our defense, and, then let the people decide when it shall be placed In action, we will have national honor and national peace for at least a hundred years. Why should we not let the people decide when they shall go to war? Do .we not believe that the people should rule? Do we mean this is a government wherein the people shall decide matters of minor importance, but when it comes to deciding whether we Bhall have war, the largest and moet important of all questions, that the people are not qualified to decide? As human blood and human life are of more importance than all other of humanity, so the question of war is of more importance than all other subjects. Do not tell me the people now, through their representatives, decide the proposition and that they are the real ones who declare war. Such Is not the case. War generally comes on suddenly, in the midst of an administration, and the people never have an opportunity to indicate their will, much less to speak. All the wars in which this country ha engaged were declared so long after the general election that it would ne absurd to think the question of declaring war, or the views of the candidates for office in regard to it, could have had any effect whatever upon their election. The war of 1812 was declared on June 12, about twenty months after the general election; the war with Mexico was declared Afay 13, 1846, about nineteen months after the general election; the Spanish-America- n war was declared by Congress April 25, 1898, about eighteen months after the general election of 1896. Our other two wars, the Revolution and the Rebellion, would, of course, have fallen under the exceptions, as set forth in my amendment. Leaving as partially considered the proposition that it is the business of the people who are subject to military duties ro declare war, let us consider some of the other reasons why the plan that I have outlined is good. First, it will give time to reflect, to reconsider, and to cool off, as it were. My father taught me when I was a child to count a hundred after I became angry before I acted or spoke. The idea was that if I counted a hundred first I would act and speak more wisely. The proposed plan gives us con-sidemio- ns Page Seven want our shores protected against any probable attack. I want to know our sider and determine whether we want submarines are able to explore the to fight or not. sea, and that our air crafts can sail John Sherman, secretary of state, high among the clouds. I want to see war, our seashores bristling with defense during the Spanish-America- n said, in a public address at his home girt roundabout as with bands of in Mansfield, Ohio, at a reception steel. X want to know that great gun given in his honor just before he rethe most powerful In the world, are tired as tecretary of State: crouched like lions in concrete cave, Had not the war with Spain been guarding the inlets of the sea. X want declared when it was we could have our government arsenals to be located secured by treaty with Spain all that far inland, to the north and west, with we demanded. equipments modern and complete, What a shame to the American" where all powder, guns and munitions of war are made by government people that & war was unnecessarily hands. I want It to be impossible for declared which resulted in the death private Interests to profit In the event of 6396 officers and enlisted men, and of war. I want our ships to be made dolwherein hundreds of millions of by the government and of the latest lars of property were lost, when the matter could have been settled by Ink type. I want to see our fortifications strong and complete. I want to see and pen on a scrap of paper. our soldiers well equipped, but in Suppose this war had been declared not too strong. I hope the numbers with equal haste against one of the soon come when all this great will great powers of Europe and instead of day defense will be In the of the few thousand lives being lost it machinery When that day shall hands. people's had resulted In the loss of several milceose and war will come war talk lion. Let me tell you, men of the will clouds pass away, and ships of House, the only guarantee we have will commerce spread their sails and against the unnecessary horror of war bear onr products to all foreign porta. is to place the power of declaring war I do not want to Bee these prepara-ration- s in the hands of the people. for the purpose of waging war, Tell me. If you can, why the people for the purpose of Insuring peace. but who are taxed to maintain a war to know the ship of state iff want I should not have the full say in defrom hostile storms. X sale, protected claring war? Do you still subscribe want to see It keep Its course and sail to the old doctrine of taxation withon, great ship of peace. humanity's out representation? That theory was exploded more than a hundred CATS AND PLAGUES. Fears ago. That doctrine was fought, An eminent scientist affirms that routed, and put to death at Lexingmany cats are susceptible to plague and that they suffer from acute or ton, Yorktown and Bunker Hill. chronic plague septicemia: he is of the Mr. Speaker, for centuries men have opinion that they Infect themselves by dreamed of universal peace, of a time eating Infected rata. when swords and spears should be no more, and to that end noble men have dedicated their Lives. But their efforts have been in vain, and now the saddest war that ever cursed the world Is on, and war flames rise and tidal waves of misery and human woe sweep rural lands and cities fair that before were filled with sweet content. All schemes adopted In the past to prevent war have failed, so we must adopt some other plan. I trust you will not shake your heads and say there is no hope. We have tried to stop it by treaties of peace, dealing only with ambitious men who profit by war. Let us treat with kings and trying1 to get an even rulers no more, for during the history of the world they have been declaring break for the people. ware for the common people to. fight. The present war In Europe is an example of this vicious practice. We want to make Utah Scarcely any of the men now in the trenches know the causes which a desirable home for the brought about the war. They know they are fighting for their king, their farmer, the business as is as czar. far That emperor, their time, as a nation, in which to recon- UTAH LABOR NEWS Is their knowledge goes. Two million men have been killed in Europe in the last year and a half for a cause unknown. If the bodies of all these men were placed end to end, 6 feet in length, they would reach 2272 miles, about the disti'nce in a straight lige from New York to San Francisco. Seven million men, the physicial pride of Europe, have been killed and wounded in this war. It is estimated they havo shed 233,000 barrels of human blood blood spilled in vain for a cause unknown. Had the good cause which I am advocating today been in operation In Europe, these lives would have been spared, these wounded would be whole, and this blood would not have been shed, for the people over there are no more in favor of war than are the people here. Our country Is the light of the world, and If we place In the hands of our people the right of declaring war other nations will in time follow our example, and then will dawn the age of universal peace. Mr. Speaker, I am In favor of preparedness for the very reason that I favor peace. I do not trust the rulers of the old world. To them might is right. They would pounce down upon us if they could, and while the present system Is In vogue I want us to have a great navy. A navy that will take ambition from the hearts of men across the sea. I these war-lik- e man and the working man. We have no quar- rel with capital, hut do insist that it isnt entitled to any more consideration than other elements necessary to a prosperous community. Are you with us? One dollar 'will bring Labor News to your home every week for a year. a We want a representa- tive in every cominun-it- y in the state to get subscriptions for the only paper that is unafraid. Write or call UTAH LABOR NEWS Labor Temple. 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