Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1869-02-17
1.-THE Majority Should Rule"

This maxina, to which in its general sense
We submit, may in its application be car
ried TO the greatest extreme. 1t is no more
true that the majority should rule, tina II
that the minority have rights which the
majority are bound to respect. During the
war, Republican speakers and writers talk
ed much of the.rights of majorities rights
SO broadly. asserted as to be equivalent to
an express negation of adj rights Of the
weaker ip1ty. e. The old phrase. might
makes right, was paraphrased into ''ma-
iorities makes right. This is not to TN
unlimited extent government of majOrl-
ties The smallest State has equal repre-
sentation in the Senate of the nation with
the largest Why is this Because, other
wise the larger States might more easily
oppress the smaller 10y unjust legislation.
Here is an assertion of the doctrine OF State
rights i'll the Constitution itself. A majority
of the people cannot change the Constitu-
ton. Here again the doctrine specifically
recognized. But it is not our intention
now to explain or defend it. We believe
that the power Of the majority is equally
great whatever party may chanc@ to be
dominant. Ii We are right, it is gross
usurpationf for one party to arrogate to itself
powers which it denies to the other, or for
a legislative body to seek to abridge the
constitutional prerogatlyes OF coordinate
branch of the government. Until the Re
publican party came into power such a
thing was never attempted. When either
side triumphed there was cheerful sub
mission to the viii OF the majority, and
those who held the reins of government
were permitted to exercise all OF the rights
and powers which they could constitutions
ally claim and they attempted nothing be-
vond. Each branch of the government
acted in harmony with the other branches,
and when q difficulty arose it was on a
Question OF constitutional right, and such
| difficulties were determined by the supreme
! judicial arbiter, whose decisions were ac-
qrlesced in.
But how isitnow? ThePpsident differs
from Congress. and forthwith Congress
makes war on the President, and seeks by
every method which intumaa ingenuity
can devise, to deprive him OF the free exer-
else of his executive powers The Supreme
| Court is likely to decide upon the validity
of certain pet laws of Congress, which it Is
feared may not stand the test, and Congress
proceeds to strip the Judiciary of its judicial
| functions. Nor dd such outrages end here.
If New York City dares to cast Demo,
lcratic vote, she will have legislation forced
upon her, which not one in ten of her citi,
zens desire And if Philadelphia elect &
Democratic mayor, the mayor shall Longer
have the right Of appointing the police
! force of the city. And yet this the party
whose peculiar mission is to reform anC
! purify Look at our Legislatures, reekint
with the very slime of political corruption
Republican, .jourRdLS being themselves h
\ j~clges. Look at the Morgans and Fenton'
/ playing the game of bluff for the Senator
ship-as Republicans confess they did
: buying Legislative votes as they would bu,
beef on the shambles. listen to the low
arivel which proceeds from the halls tina
\ once echoed the eloquenee of Clay anC
Webster, and then boast of the refining ant
purifying influence of the party of mora
ideas. How much the men of that part,
Arespect the right of the majority we hav
seen, though, many other. examples Nigh
be given. They are decidedly in favor O
4 the majority to rale soken The mdjarity i
4 nth them Philadelphia Patriot