Read this quotation. “i think that it is high time that we remembered that the constitution . . speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation. whether it be a criminal prosecution in court or a character prosecution in the senate, there is little practical distinction when the life of a person has been ruined.” –senator margaret chase smith, 1950 although senator smith does not name anyone in this quotation, she is most likely referring to a. dwight eisenhower. b. joseph welch. c. joseph mccarthy. d. ethel rosenberg.

Joseph McCarthy

Senator Margaret Chase Smith is most likely referring to Senator Joseph McCarthy and his attack on those he considered communist traitors.

Joseph McCarthy embodied the fears that many people had surrounding communism during the Cold War. He accused government employees, university professors, Hollywood celebrities and people in various industries of being Communist sympathizers, and therefore, "traitors." The accused often lost their means of livelihood, reputation and careers. In this excerpt, Senator Smith is accusing McCarthy of persecuting people who are exercising their freedom of speech. She also condemns the fact that reputations and lives have been ruined without these people ever committing a crime or being judged by a jury.

The main way in which the War Powers Resolution was intended to limit presidential authority was that it limited the number of days a President could commit US troops to a conflict without the express authority of Congress.