The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-05

the criticisms that aIe daily seen in the
newspapers upon tbs subject / am con-
ounces. Win o Freat severity the hard money
with the republicans TO defeat our ticket. for |
getting that even Horace Greeley, then chief !,
Wing editor OF the United states, exerted ali his
presidency, and, at the same time, TO use |
his strong but certainly not courteous
Anesher class Of edtors denoune. ps because
we do not surrender our convictions and
support paper money ana imitation as well IS
the ticket. They are not content that we shall
help TO elect the ticket-they require that we
three years have elapsed since they were them
selves among the most ardent and efficient sup
Ppoa the and ihS
| hard money and specie resumption platform
SDaG bsSe p no 20 e
speak Of the inconsisteneies Of Pslitieians-
| ency and al the same time do whaL belleve-tp
| be right. -rsf -
DANGERS OF cENTR >LIz ALTON y
But IL is time 10 refer more particularly TO sonfe
Of the points of difference between us and our
adversaries. and TO some of the causes of conn
plant that justly exist against radical admins.
tration. And first let us briefly consider local
enlightenment. and It's opposite. central
ization. What is local self=governuient?
1t is not ! nuilidcation tor seces-
SION, Us enemies so often faselE assert. Is has
nS ,,o am E11n rs doctsss
list, and in better days OF the Republic.
did exist, as fully and completely in the Union
ali inteuts, q separate sovereignty. Local sell
government is simply Z ugh. OF a community
| 10 make and administer its own laws upon
trait: The doctrine of local self-goyernrnent
domestic concerns of Ohio shall be made and
administered by Ohio alone. The doctrine OF
these laws sa be sde by me me
| United States and administered by the federal
ludic AIRY and executive. You see at once how
| systems, and how momentous must be the
consequences OF maintaining the one or the
other. But before speaking OF that let me
ca l your astenii2n u The fact OF how
always prevailed In Ohio. Under our consritu
ton OF 1892, or that OF 1851, the General Assem-
| b. might have .egislated for every sub diyision
every subject, however peculiar to that sub-di-
vision. Such a system, TO a great extent, has
always ext ted in France, where not a road can
be made, a b. idse built, or even-a mill erected,
without permit from the central administTas
ton. Such was the system that prevailed In
| that country for many centuries, and which has
not, believe. been much modified even at this
day. How widely different from such centrsIi-
zation of power is
THE SYSTEM IN OHIO,
adopted by our fathers and perpeiuated ever
since. The state is divided into numerous SUBJ
divisions-some of them exceedingly small
and upon each of those subdivisions the power
is conferred OF regulating, in greater or less
degree, its own peculiar concerns. The smallest
subdivision is the school district, with Its board
of trustees, authorized 10 erect school houses,
employ teachers, supervise the schools, and for
| Ties purpose s to levy, with the assent of the
ptople. taxes to a limited amount. Rising in
the scale, we come tn the township with its
board OF trustees, empowered 10 lay out or va
cate certain roads, in some instances 10 erect
public buildings, TO provide for the temporary
support of the poor and to perform other func-
lions that concern the township alone; and al so
clothed with limited power of taxation. Next
comes the ci les and villages, with their
ellis, authorized TO make laws called
ordinances, and their various executive officers,
charged with their execution or with the preser-
walton of the peace; and here again limited
power of taxation is conferred upon the local
legislature of the municipality. Rising yet
higher we come to that great subdivision, The
county, with its board of county commissioners,
powers, among which is power of taxation,
and its probate judge, sheriff, coroner. auditor,
cbo s@5er b ana pro ssGIn1s attorney S
qualified electors. AT last, leaving the
sG69,1dii,yisions, we reach the state itself,
| all laws not forbidden by the federal state
constitution, and its imposing executive ana
pretsIion OF the enforcement Of the laws. e Thus
you see my fellow-citizens, how wisely
LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT
is provided for in Ohio; one school district
is not allowed to interfere with another, nor
one township or county to interfere with anoth-
each and all of them, "Mind your own business.
and let others mind THEIRS" And now
if there is any one here who has disbeIieved in
the danger of cen tralizstion who has regarded
what has been said about 1t as the mere clap
trap of a demagogue, the dream of visionary,
view OF the facts have stated, and many more
OF like import that might be stated, and Of the
utterances at first cautious and faint but now
influential of the radical leaders. TO review his
opinion, and ssriou,ly and cOnscientiously
consider the question, us there not denger?"
Why, what is the Interpretation placed upon
the constitution, and especially upon the four
tenth amendment by the leaders of the
publican party? Freed from all verbiage and
ambiguity, II amounts simply 10 the assert1+
ject that concerns the life, liberty property of
any person within the United States; In other
words, over everything that is the subject oflaw
This monstrous proposition, which, If carried
or wRateTe1 70 no the States IS ths
doctrine daily taught by men standing in the
very front rank of republican teachers.
IN the land, of whatever political party,
, taught the doctrine that the federal
government possesses no powers but such as are
red upon it by the constitution; that it is SOW
: reign only in respect 10 these delegated powers,
| and that all other sovereignty wha soever re-
mains with the states. The consequence of that
power unless 1t could be found delegated to it in
the constitution; and this was the doctrine Of
rom the formation Of the Constitution down to
1851. But in practice, the very opposite OF this
true doctrine has come to prevail, and the radi-
cal majority in congress has, for years, acted
upon t. e theory that congress can exercise any
Jurisdiction pass any law that the constitution
does not expressly forbid il to exercise or 10 pass.
= Under this
r NEw INTERPRETATION
4 il has enacted law after law for which no dele
$ gated power can be found in the constitution,
and has thus assumed to be the absolute sover-
e.gn IN ali things over the states and the people
r And here let me earnestly warn you, my friends
y not to suppose that because the framework OF
! the state governments may remain, the rights OF
the states and the people will also be preserved
e The republican forms OF the Roman common
4 wealth lasted for centuries after every spark OF
q liberty had been extingu shed. and the sole de-