The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-10-11

/ tiles with an eve single To its own greed,
and IL should now cease 20 be the master,
and accept its place As the servant Of the
people. This Is at once the impeling de-
mand of labor and the supreme need of
| democracy.
FEDERAL rSUEFArIuN
\ fearful trial awaits our system of gov
erument IN the growing tendency towards
Federal usurpatInn and the Capitalization
| Of power. During the late civil war the
national government was compelled t. deal
with a strong hand. A thorough schooling
IN the use at power seemed to be it's only
| alternative. Theories III strict construc-
tIun found little favor when the life nf the
nation was menaced IN tho name Of State
/ Rights. The people looked for their sal.
yatIon only IN the vigorous exercise of
power 10y the central governments and cared
tar more about the end to be obtained than
the means ~ its accomplishment. The nat
uTal effect II this military training was to
famlharlzc the people with military IDEAS
and habits, and to attach them to loose and
lndctenslhle opinions respecting the rea-
tive powers of the General and State gov
eminent Al the same time, and Just as
naturally, these mischlcfs of war crept into
the civil administration after the war was
ended, largely coloring the views of the
I leading public men who had most zealously
sustained the government in the great con
I tlIct, and producing final harvest uf NAL
I administration and misrule which the
country has had to reap during the past
I four years. This was inevitable. De
I tocIueviile asserts that war must invari-
ably and UNNECESSARILY increase the powers
/ Of civil government, and that nj IT lead
I not VI despotism by sudden violence, IT
/ prepares men for il more gently ~ their
/ habits. These unavoidable mIschiefs
were considerably aggravated by remark
able popular tallacy. which still extensively
prevails The effect uf war was mistaken
tor its cause. The rebellion was charged
upon a particular theory of State Rights,
whereas its real cause was African Slavery.
and the pretended right II secession was
only pretext Devotion t. this institu-
ton was the overIuasteIiuu sentiment of
the people If the South. ana while al one
time they manifested this devotion by set
ting mp their pet dogma of secession IN its
support, at another they were equally
ready to strike at the very citadel ~ States
Rights by policy ~ monstrous Federal
/ aggression The rights ot the States to
secede at their own pleasure was not more
mdefenslble than the Federal authority as
sumed IN the bred Scott decision. and the
Fugitive Slave act of 1870. The Cotton
States did not secede ON account of the ty-
ranny Of the National Government. but
because of their inability amy longer to
rule 1t IN the interest Of slavery. The
simple truth Is, that i'll the hands of the
old slave masters the constitution was
made to dip towards Capitalization or State
Rights, exactly in the degree ii promised
help to the claims NJ the Slave Power.
These facts are perfectly evident, and must
| am sure, enter into the verdict uf his
tory But the people, as a rule, Judged
otherwise, and their Judgment necessarily
exercised shaping influence over the ac-
ton Of the Government. la insisting that
1t was the heresy Of state Rights which
caused the war. they believed IT was not
only necessary that that heresy should be
crushed, but that IN doing It the central
power should be sustained IN It's most lati
tudinarIau pretensIuus The whole policy
IF the Government was thus >werved to
ward Capitalization. and With such al Iu.-
pulse that 1t still continues The Consti-
ruuon expressly declares that The powers
Constitution. nor prohibited ~ L Il the
States, are reserved 10y it to the States re-
spectlvely, or to the people !: but the the
Dry on which Gen. Grant conducts his adj
ministration is that all powers not conferred
on the States by the Constr. rtion are re-
served to the United States, thus com
Pletely overturnlng the doctrines If the
fathers, ana setting at defiance the express
words Of the Constitution itself This is
nov the p"iiucal creed If the men who sit
at the nghi nand II the President And
b. not only tramples down the principle of
LOCAL sELF- GovERNNENT.
but sets up his own VII as law. even against
the authority Of Congress. IN the San Do
mingo affair We have seen him deliberately
usurp the armaking power. hich is vest
"a III Congress hy the Constitution. ON the
pretense Of helping the farmers IN ''mov-
ing the crops, We have seen him assuming
powers which no despot would dare exer-
else il issuing millions of currency without
any warrant Of law, and on his own midi
yidual caprice. We have seen him APP
pointing t. civil places about him men in
the military service, ID violation If an ex-
press statute which he Is sworn To- execute.
We have seen him grant leave If absence
to Gen. Sickles from his mission AZ Madrid
to aud HIM In an effort To get control % the
Erie Railway for his own private adVan-
tage, and issuing ridiculous order author
lZlng an inspection If the books Of the
company, which his own Secretary of the
Treasury was obliged to revoke In disre-
gard Of law, and in violation If the Con
stitution and his oath of office. We have
seen him quartering Federal soldiers on fhe
Cherokee neutral lands in Kansas IT, pro
tect railroad corporation III driving from
their homes hundreds of settlers. who
claimed the lands occupied BY them IN
good faith under the presumption laws.
we have seen him standing by a reckless
and corrupt Federal Judge ia Louisiana
and using hun IN crushing out the lawful
government Of that State in order that
gang 81 graceess demagogues and conspir-
at0rs may set mp pretended State govern
ment which even his own leading friends
and NEST jealous partizans confess to be a
cheat and a sham. These are a few ex-
amples only, selected from many. showing
how the President carries the imperial and
military spirit III his high office. and sets
aside the laws which are as binding upon
HIM as upon any other citizen. while the
example ~ his disobedience A. pre-emi
nentiy meschievous The same disreyard
u Law ~ its spirit, II not its letters
shown ~ his gross misuse II the power Of
pardon. Since hiss late election. ! believe
the first subject of his tender mercy was
the Philadelphia repeater and ballot-box
stutier, who va righteously sentenced for
a term of years 10 the State prison. but
promptly pardoned out Of it.
IL he Coniinueil
TANNERIEs.-At q recent meeting Of the
Pennsylvania Hide and Leather Dealers
Association, at Harrisburg, the following
figures we're presented, giving the compar-