The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-01-13
T. BLOOMSBURY, COLUMBIA COUNTY PA.

ness and impartial justice to all parties
and localities.
Our modern philanthroplsts will
learn with concern that the Governor
recommends the immediate repeal of
the [" Act to allow writs of error In
cases of murder and voluntary man
slaughter" This absurd law, which,
in its operation, is equal to the indeh'
mite postponement of the execution of
the murdercrs who chance to be con
vcted in our courts, should be immedi'
ptely stricken from our statutes. 1t Is
to such laws that may be partly attribu'
ted the alarming increase of murders
in our midst. Indeed the onward re.
sistless march of crime nowadays, i'm
peratively demands more gallows, mora
summary punishments and less writs
of error.
But of all the subjects which the Gov
ernor treats in his Message, the most
important, the most absorbing, is that
of STATE SOVEREIGNTY! THAT
sovereignty which the Republican par
ty affect to ignore, and yet, which is CO.
existent and identical with The Sorer-
eighty Of The people emphatically assert
ed in the Constitution of every State
and of the United States rs the source
of all power THAT State sovereignty
which guarantees to every American
citizen the protection of life, of proper
ty, of liberty of conscience, Of rational
liberty THAT State Sovereignty which
guarantees the inviolability of contracts
without which the social compact could
not exist without which there could
be neither freedom nor State Govern
ment
Under the head of Telegraph lines
and Railroads." the Governor says
that he regards the assumption of the
control of the Telegraph lines, and the
chartering of Railroad Companies with
in the State by the Federal govern
ment, as Il subject of vast Importance
involving the sovereign power of the
State" as well as the interests of oul
State Corporations that may be en-
franchiscd by it and of our citizens
whose capital is invested to the amount
of many millions, in the bonds and
stocks of said corporations.
Here the Governor takes high and
patriotic ground. He boldly stands up
for that Sovereign power which has Gre
ated all the vested rights and chartered
privileges under which hundreds OF
millions of capital have been invested
by our citizens in State Railroads and
State Telegraph lines, deriving most of
their value and Importance from State
policy and State protection. In the
unrestricted legislation OF Congress, he
apprehends, on he part of the Federal
Government, a violation of the sacred
ness of contracts, guaranteed to every
Pennsylvania by our State Constitu
tion, if Congress undertakes to pass
acts of incorporation which shall in any
way viol ate or interfere with the vested
or chartered rights granted under
the authority of the State of Pennsyl-
vania.
In the position he thus assumes nc
stands is the protector of the integrity
of millions worth Of corporate property
which is constantly exposed to the
mach nations of the speculating rings
at Washington who, from one day to
the other, may, by the passage of some
sweeping act of Incorporation, wake
up some of our Railroad directors to
the fact that if there is no State Sover-
eighty there is no existence for them
their roads or their capital.
"JUNIUs."