The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-08

and voter in the land did understand them,
and see that they were something more
than triRing distinctions. That there was
vitality in them upon which the very
safety of the people depends During the
rebellion, there was more or less central
ization of power at Washington, and the
people, not without grumbling, however,
submitted TO IT, They could hardly do
otherwise at the time and, perhaps, the ma
jorliy of the people at the north saw in it
the only safety Of the country. 1t was, we
believed, a military necessity, and we sub
mitted TO IT as such. Time and again, the
government went outside and beyond the
letter and spirit Of the constitution. but not
without the protest of some of the ablest
and purest statesmen of the republican party
AS Judge Collamer was wont to inform the
senate, they were raising millions upon
millions of dollars and imperilling millions
OF lives to save the constitution, while they
were daily breaking it. 1t is too late now
to inquire whether the rebellion could have
been suppressed and the Union saved by
other means and appliances than those
used That is a question of the past and
need not. now, he considered
1t certainly H. unfortunate that we were
compelled to resort to such means and it
is strange that after hccXperence of those
five years. the people are not more alive to
the necessity of strict adherence to the
letter and spirit of the constitution. and of
the great dangers to the liberties of the
people which must come from a ccntraliza-
tion of power in the hands of the general
government. Absolute power is liable to
be abused and will be abused We do not
have to travel far to find instances and H.
there were almost daily Instances of it. in
the suppression of newspapers, thereby in
tericgns with the liberty of the press:
the arrest OF men without warrant for
words spoken in public addresses or in con
versation. thereby infringing upon the
right of every person to express his scnti-
mcnts at wilton the freedom Of speech ::
in the search and seizure ct private houses :;
in the taking of private property for pub
lie use without compensation. etc, etc. -
we can all readily recall instances upon in
stances of the kind We are told that the
danger is pas, that it is idle to talk Of any
danger of Capitalization or of the asSllmp
ton of doubtful uncOnstituliOnaltv, abSo-
lutte aye, arbitrary powers. hH So? Are
these the signs of the times Do wc not.
almost daily. hear of the violation of the
sanctity of the mails, and letter and pack
ages seized thcreirom Are not the stores.
counting rooms and, even. private houses
Of merchants in New York, Boston. phla
dclphia. ard other cities being constantly
entered, and private books and papers
taken theretrom without II compliance with
the requirements of the national constitu-
ton! If Postmaster General Crcswell.
and two or three other persons that might
be named, could obtain President and
Congress to carry out their views. what
would become OF the power of the inli-
vidual voter? 1t is bad enough now, but
we do not feel its effects so much here, AS
is experienced in other parts of the coun-
try. A postal telegraph. postal savings
banks, the control of all railroad and ex-
press companies, the absorption Of the
canals, the building of new lines Of rail
roads and the digging of new canals, and
we know not how many more S"hamn' l.
this does not mean Capitalization, could IL
= ~.',.r. az. tnIng else What could the
individual voter do against this army of
Office holders organized and DESTROYS of Il
continuance in power? 1t would be strange
indeed if they did not work for aprolonga-
ton in Office. 1t would be matter Of
"bread and butter to them, and that
would be incentive enough Is there no
danger in all this