The Ottawa free trader., 1873-03-01


Saturday, and moved their adopted as mean,
OF testing the sense of the convention. III,
advocated them in forcihle speech. The reso
lutiOns are as follows:
This association has no object in view which
contravene the principles embodied i'm the con
s,ltution of the United States, or the cOnst itu
ton OF the several states of the Union. On the
contrary, its objects are to remove from the
legislative, judicial and executive branches of
| the general and state governments the cOrrup-
tlon, venality and abuse of power which so
seriously rctard the welfare and prosperity of
| the people.
We recognize the power of congress to raise,
by tax or impost, sufficient revenue to meet the
eNlgencles OF the government. But we hold
| that congress has no constitutional power to
impose prOhlbitory or protective duties as such
duties do not operate to produce revenue for
the support Of the government but to create
and enrich mOnOpOlies. The imposition of
such duties is plainly class legislation, which
Is evidently unconstitutional. N
We recognize in state legislatures the power
to disregard vested rights when they stand in
the way of great public benefit. 1t was only
by the exercise Of this power that railroad cor
porations were enabled to condemn and take
the private property necessary for the ConStr,ic.
tlon OF their railroads. Hence, we hold that the
legislature, through which railroad corpora
tions acquired vested rights in consideration
OF public benefit has the power in like man.
ner to take away the vested rights acquired
through II, when the conduct of the railroad
corporation so vested becomes public griev-
ancc.
lhe people being sovereign, there is no pow
er to which they can appeal for redress of
grievances. The general and state governments
being composed of the servants of the people
the custom of petitioning those bodies for re-
dress of grievances has created the impression
that the people are the servants of the govern
mcnt. We therefore hold that when the people
have reason to complain OF unjust legislation
it is their duty to approach their governmen,
IN their sovereign capacity and DEMAND their
rights.
We hold that the Judiciary is made by the
constitution OF the United States. and the con-
stitutions OF the several states, the guardian of
the peoples rights, Ii, then, the rights of the
people are iniringed by congressional or state
legislation, the judiciary is directly response
bic; for the legislative branch of the govern
ernmen', unaided by the judiciary, is powerlcss
for evil
Whereas, the people nithclr political ca.
paclty are sovereign;
Aud whereas, thcgovernment of the United
States and OF the several states OF the union is
conducted by individuals who are the paid
servants Of the people
And whereas, it is fer reason Of the corrup.
ton, venality and abuse of the power of our
palo servants that our rights are compromised
and our welfare and prosperity retarded
And whereas. it Is through party politics
ana party machinery that venal, corrupt and
incompetent men are chosen To conduct the
affairs of Cur government: Therefore.
Resolved, that We do hereby pledge our.
selves one to another, that we will ignore par.
~ politics in the election of all our public of.
acers, and that We Will vote for no candidate
ior pubic office who Is put in nomination
by the old political machinery, viz caucuses
and conventions.
Mr.. Lynch, in substance, said: THE people
are suffering monstrous grievances How shall
these wrongs be redrcsscd: How, are these
grievances to be redresscd? Can we do il in
any other way than by declaring boldly our
principles: We must strike at the root of the
evil. Those now in power are either our enc.
mics, or in their interest We can do nothing
until we force those in power TO respect our
Just demands, or by choosing men to Office
who will represent us and our interests. We
must unite upon this, regardless of party, and
| have no doubt of our success when we shall
have united. The farmers alone are not all
who are interested in this movement. We find
the burdens imposed upon lis by high protec.
tive tariffs too great to bear. These burdens
we feel as much as you. 1t is true, that to-day
our legislatures, and even judicial bodies, are
against us. Having recently had occasion 70
examine many judicial decisions on railroad
matters, was surprised to find the great ma
jority of them all against us, and directly in
favor of the railroad monopolsts.
"As to tariffs for protection, it would seem to
be our duty TO abolish them as soon as possible.
They are the great source of most of our evils.
Congress has only power to levy a tariff for
revenue y tariff that is SO high as to Weld no
revenue, becomes tax upon consumers, and IA
dircct subsidy to some monopoly or ring. 1t
takes money, by millions, out of our pockcts,
Tor some great monopoly. by these laws, and
build up immense corporations at the eypense
OF the people Such tariffs arc Unconstitutional.
ms society ought to put down all caucuscs,
ana itself choose its own candidates for Office.
Let the farmers meetings of the town select
the town officers of the county, those for the
county. Let the county organization send dele. |
gates 10 It's district and state conventions, and
thus VIC can elect, not only local and county
Officers from our farmers club, men of our
selves, hut also choose such men for the lcris.
lature and congress, md all important. posi-
tons. We can within ourselves. c0nS,rnr@- r,