The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-06-19
n1anitouoc pilot,
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 1879.
STATE RIGHTS.

STATE RIGHTS.
There is more danger to the liberties
of the people in the tendency to central
ize power in the national government than
in the general acceptance of state rights
as contended for, before the rebellion.
The signal success of the advocates of
any policy over their opponents, invari-
ably leads to excess. There are various
reasons for this. The multitude are apt
to accept unquestioningly the tenets Of
the party flushed with victory. The
prestige of success is always more potent
in gaining recruits than the abstract ques-
ton of right. An error which has Gull
minated in gr.evous consequences draws
attention from other evils which ripen
into results much more disastrous.
Peoples gratitude to deliver seldom
stops short of investing him with powers
more despotic, than that from which they
were relieved.
The advocates of strong national
government take advantage of the enthu-
siasm inspired by the overthrow of the
extreme state rights doctrines. to deprive
the states OF the power to manage their
own local affairs. The usurpation of
powers by the national government,
which it is necessary states should exer-
else exclusively in order to preserve their
governments, is more dangerous than the
right Of peaceable secession. The peo-
pies attention, so much Of it as is given
to national affairs, is kept rivetted on the
defunct principle Of secession. While
the people are repos ing in fancied secu-
rity, state lines are being abrogated, the
power Of state over It's citizens is being
annulled, and the national government is
gradually absorbing the powers of the
states. Any encroachment by the nation
al, upon the state government should be
steadily resisted. A state is weak as
compared with the nation, and the weak
ere invariably oppressed by the strong,
unless the powers of the latter are go
clearly defined and limited as to make
oppression impossible. Politics is al
ways a more important factor in national
than in state affairs. If the nation can
with color Of law interfere with the adj
ADMINISTRATION of the local affairs of the
state, those states not in political accord
with the party in the ascendant in nation
al affairs will certainly be oppressed.
South Carolina and Louisiana furnish
proof of this. The national government
had more to DO with placing people in
official position in these states, than had
the citizens whose duty it is to select
these officers. If fancied or real domes
tic disquietude he deemed sufficient
excuse for federal interference in these
states, party necessity viii not be lacking
in ingenuity to discover pretexts for in
torference in other states. When the
federal government, should its powers
keep on increasing, interferes with Wis
consin i'll the management of its own in
dividual affairs, it may see the necessity
of denying absolute power to the general
government. The states not oppressed
by federal intervention may look with
unconcern on that unjustifiable interior
ence with less fortunate states,-indeed
applaud it, being part of the whole which
IS the oppressor. But dangerous pow
er is thus being built up, dangerous pre-
cedents are being established.
Alexander Hamilton, the most earnest
and eloquent advocate of strong central
government, insisted that state govern
ments We're necessary to prevent usurpa-
tioR IN the national government. In
such vast extent of territory, state
governments are necessity. 1t is i'm
possible to enact laws suited alike to
circumstances prevailing in Florida and
III Minnesota; in Maine and in Califor-
mia. Each state has wants peculiar to
itself, and needs peculiar laws to meet
these wants; law which would contribute
to the public good in California might
work infinite mischief in Maine. State
governments, in order to be preserved,
must not be left at the mercy of the ma
tional government. They must be ac-
corded rights which are inalienable.
They must be left the exclusive manage
ment of their own local affairs. The
elections in Wisconsin must not be plac-
ed under the control of a supervisor, a
resident of Massachusetts.
The doctrine of state rights is not a
popular one ut present. It will soon
become SO, and it is to be hoped before
the national government will have gath
cred to itself so much power as to make
state governments so only in name It
is to be hoped that the pendulum of pub
lie opinion has reached the limit in its
course toward Capitalization of power, and
that its amplitude of vibration between
that extreme and the other of state rights
will grow less, when the power gained
through the war will diminish in force.
.------s--------@.
CoNKLINo is great statesman. He
has made q number of greatest efforts
of his life but invariably on some triv-
ial or party matter. Conkling was never
known to make greatest effort" on
any important question, except when he
took stand against the vice presidents
ling thought he detected errors in the
bill repeating the test oath and jurors
laws. The democrats, to correct the
error, moved to have it referred to the
committee reporting it, so that the bill
could be amended by removing its OBJ