The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-26
~ue e.2lAlty Nv gus.
- eO
fConch,ded from second page.

Pact at, We all 10 he held inViolatle. But
when the country itself has become 50
changed in its condition that the rights
which the constitution was intended to Sc
cure can no logger be secured by 1t, those
who have most faithfully supported the ey.
isting constitution are those who are best
entitled to advocate its revision.
The trainers provided for its amend,
ment. They foresaw that in the changing
circumstances of so vast country new
constitutional provisions would be needed
In the very first year Of its adoption they
took part in those eight amendments which
were added to make certain the restrictions
upon the power OF congress. Had the
evils which now threaten us existed or
been foreseeu in their time they would
! have themselves added to the constitution
those further restrictions by which only
these evils can now be prevented.
But besides this evil there has gradually
grown up with the growth of the country
! Il Presidential patronage never toreseen
when the constitution was formed. Ihe
President to-day has the absolute appoint
meut of upwards OF $4,000 office holders !;
any army almost sufficient of themselves
to control nominations and elections. And
yet this is a power perfectly constitutional
Ii is one which would never have been per
mitted had its magnitude been foreSeen. -
But, nevertheless, it now exists and is con
stitutional. Some have proposed to re.
form this evil by regulation and examina-
ton. But such regulations and eXamina-
tons have proved thus far an utter and
absolute failure. Can, indeed. this grow
ing evil ever De reformed except by max
ing the tenure ct subordinate officials like
department clerks dependent, for limit
ed time at least only upon good behavior
and by making the local officers, such as
postmaster taXgatherS and the like, elect
i've? And is 1t not worth the while of the
Democratic party to take ground for some
reform IN that direction which would, in
deed prove a real civil service reform?
In country which forbade orders of
nobility, privileged classes, primogeniture
and entailed estates, which lett men free
to accumulate property while they lived
but wisely refused them the right to per-
petuate such accumulation after their
death, an artificial privileged class more
dangerous than any natural persons has
been gradually allowed &c grow up and to
consolidate itself until now these great cor
porations hold estates vaster than any no
bility and possess great lines stretching
over thousands of miles Of territory, able |
by their power, their influence or their
wealth to control legislation. And yet |
these corporations exist only by permission |
of law. Should it not be made part OF |
the fundamental law Of the whole land, |
provision in the federal constitution, that
neither congress nor any state should have !
power to grant mOnopoies beyond the |
power of the people to repeal, and that all
hereafter engaging in inter
state traffic should be subject to just con
gressioual control?
The measures here suggested would be
measures ofreal reform. They would, in
deed. invite and involve discussion. But
they would stand discussion, and what the !
people want is measures of principle to |
discuss. They would, too be measures |
of Democratic reform. Would it not, then,
be wise to emb0dy them, or something like
them, in the resolutions of the coming con.
vention and declare that the party, in ac-
cepting the inevitable results of the war,
seeks thus to carry out and secure, under
the changed circumstances that have re-
suited, that limited and localized govern
ment without which there can be no per
1
sonal freedom?
These are not, indeed, the only questions
of the time. The necessity Of an honest
and stable currency, of relief from a tariff
SO framed as to confer bOunties on the few
at the expense of the many; OF reform in
a revenue system alike onerous and cor
rupting; of substituting economy aud re
trenchment for extravaganza and abuses
in the administration Of public affairs OF
casting the influence of the administration
against instead of for the plunderers OF the
South of putting stop to the admission
Of rotten borough States, and other qucs-
tons, will still remain. But the funda-
mental question upon which these other
ssues depend, and upon which parties
must in the long run in a country like this
livide, is whether the government Estate
and federal) shall be limited or paternal,
centralized or localized And to maintain
he fundamental principal of limited and
ocalized government by measures adapted
q the changing condition of the country is
he first duty of the Democratic party.
This is no common election. 1t is not
yoing to be choice to be determined by
he responsibility Of the candidates, for
both will be highly respectable. Old afhl- {
Will hCCH lItH III iIHC III lllt uDHcllCt
IF new issues, and no general defamation
Tor mere cry for reform will of itself drive
hem into new relations esEsdsss ,
And yet the people as whole do believe
n true Democratic princples-in limited !,
ather than in paternal, in localized rather
han centralized government-and should
De found upon any new measures that ,
nay be proposed ready to take their stand !
where they can best carry their principles
nto effect s
Let the wise men of the party soon to
convene in this State at your call see to it
hat they submit to the people snch appl-
,ations of these principles to the existing
condition of things as will secure real re- .
orm, and all will be well.
With high respect, your obedient ser q,
rant.
GARRISON \. POTTER
New Rochelle, Sept. IA, 1874.