| Show How Shall We Govern By RALPH ADAMS CRAM 1 CRAMIn In the Commonweal It may be that we shall have to consider some method of putting extraordinary extraordinary ex ex- powers in the hands of the president in times like these Th The insistent call for Cor leadership and for central planning which is arising on all sides is the instinctive call of the masses for integrated responsibility and power in this highly specialized world of ours These are the words of Owen D. D Young A At the present moment we find tind In close clos contact on the one hand a so socia social so- so cial cia economic and political condition I rapidly approaching catastrophe on the other a legally constituted legislative legis legislative power by a more exaggerated exaggerated exaggerated state of imbecility and incapacity incapacity inca incapacity inca inca- than has been recorded thus far in this history of the nation Under Under Under Un Un- der the sporadic lash of executive authority authority au au- au- au the senate and house of the United States exhibit temporary and partial obedience to dictation but with no reliable evidence that permanently permanently perma perma- neatly beneficial results will be attained attained at at- tamed in advance of the development of world forces that are acting in accordance accordance accordance ac ac- ac- ac with geometrical sion If as now seems to be probable the course of these events completely outstrips the sluggish progress of political po activity then there will wIllbe be no escape from catastrophe which may maybe maybe maybe be as complete as that which overtook overtook overtook over over- took classical civilization and brought in the era of the dork dark ages The question therefore arises is there anything anything any any- ny- ny thing to be done to anticipate this catastrophic result I II I would suggest that the organic law together with all man-made man laws at any time of crisis may be and must be superseded by direct action action ac ac- ac- ac tion lion based on the general welfare of the people of any nation This applies applies applies ap ap- ap- ap plies directly to the constitution of the United States One of the weak spots in the original original original inal constitution was the failure to provide a method whereby at any critical moment the executive e would have power to dissolve the legislative bodies and call for a new election on the basis of certain definitely ex expressed expressed ex- ex pressed principles es This provision forms a part of cf practically all of the constitutional systems of European states and is one of the very few points in which these organic laws possess superior merit to the constitution constitution of the thc United States Under the implied powers of the president as these exist in the Am AmerLean American Amer Amer- rican r- r ican Lean constitution he in times of critical critical cal danger to the republic may as assume assume assume as- as sume and does assume something approaching approaching ap ap- ap- ap dictatorial power V VI I 1 sue sug- sug- sug ge gest est t that in in the present crisis in fn world affairs wherein the United States shares at nt least equally with other na nations the danger that confronts us is equal to that which develops in time of civil war and that therefore it is Js the duty of the president of the United United Unit Unit- ed cd States to act outside the law whereas in ordinary times of p peace ace and prosperity this law is bound to be beheld beheld beheld held sacrosanct I pr propose pose therefore that the president president president dent of the United States should issue a proclamation making clear these facts and that he should then declare the tho senate and house of the United States dissolved or adjourned adjourn d sine die He should then call caU to Washington Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington the governors of th the several states of the Union to form a pro visional ad interim government act acting ct- ct ing with himself and his cabinet and with full authority to govern by decree decree de de- de V cree until the date of the next presidential election This council of state president cabinet and chamber of governors would then proceed to carry out those measures which would appear to be necessary to save the republic from catastrophe and restore a measure of ot order and confidence Specifically this council of state would have full authority to reduce In hi any measure all appropriations made by the present congress to reorganize on an economical econom econom- ical basis the executive and administrative adminis adminis- departments of the government government government govern govern- ment to balance a drastically reduced budget by such taxation as as they saw fit fit with particular regard to lowering lower lower- ing the Income tax to repeal or modify modify modify mod mod- the eighteenth amendment for th the purpose of raising revenue by excise taxes and to restore a measure of confidence confidence con con- in the law to revise the present prescot pres pres- ent cot tariff law in order to make it manly marily a revenue producing measure to deal with war reparations and the debts to the United States of or Euro countries as they saw fit to provIde pro pro- vide such emergency aid to the unemployed either directly or through the several states end and nd municipalities as seemed to them judicious and in gen gen- era eral I other any actions commended com corn mended themselves as agencies to toward toward to- to ward a restoration of confidence and anda anda a a 1 bringing into being of a n just and equitable system of ot government In doing this the president would J wt ta Jha tho PO o A I I Mussolini a a Hitler or any other dictator dIe dic for he would be acting with the consent of the chief executive of every state in the Union provided these chief executives recognized the justice and righteousness of the presidential presidential presidential pres pres- action At the present time the governors of the states are in general general general gen gen- eral men of character and capacity of ofa a higher order than exists In the case of the legislative bodies either of ot the nation or of the states and it is not notto notto notto to be doubted that such a representative tive Live body as iS H here proposed representing every state in the Union would be able to deal with the present crisis far more quickly ly and intelligently than the present senate and house of representatives at Washington This action being taken the president dent would then declare that the election election elec elec- tion in the coming November would be not only for president and vice president but also for a new senate and a new house The issue would be clear cut nam namely ly the support or re t of the actions of the emergency counciL Those members of either o of the legislative bodies and they are not few in number who ar are possessed of character and intelligence would have no fear as to their election while those who fail V of these standards would in many cases be rejected on ona ona a clear cut issue and a better type would be returned to Washington Finally the president should announce announce an an- flounce that he rested on the decision to tobe be rendered at the elections in November No No- vember In the event of an unfavorable unfavorable unfavorable able decision on the part o of the electorate electorate elec elec- and the return of new legislative legislative legislative legisla legisla- tive bodies bodles opposed to his action he should state that he voluntarily surrendered surrendered surrendered sur sur- rendered himself to the courts of Justice justice Jus jut tice and would accept without complaInt complaint com corn plaint such disposition of himself as might be determined upon Some form of dictatorship or orcen- orcen cen en- en of governmental power in times of emergency such as the present present pres- pres pres pres- ent ent has been advocated for the United States from many quarters However How ever so far tar suggestions for specific measures have been absent Mr Cram essays this difficult task Some who feel fed that democracy y is doomed may heartily Indorse his suggestions Others Others Oth Oth- ers we ce believe will appreciating Mr Crams Cram's earnestness and clearn clearness clearness clear clear- n ness will feel that he has rendered tho greatest service by reducing the proposition to realities which show It to be far tar less attractive than generalities generalities gener gener- would indicate The indicate The Editors of the Commonweal |
