Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-21


Minnesota for the benefit of Minnesota, it
would be cheerful new departure.
STATE RIGHTS.
The doctrine of State rights is asserted with
alarming frequency in Democratic platforms
and by Democratic leaders, Philadelphia Press.
The doctrine of State rights has, it is true,
been asserted with frequency of late that
is perhaps alarming to the Republican mind,
but is reassuring to the people in general.
1t is doctrine that has been lost sight of
in the turmoil and strife of the past two de-
cades, yet it is more vital to the life of the
nation than any other principle in existence.
If the extra session of Congress did no other
good it has done this much-it has revived
an interest in subject too long neglected,
that of State rights.
When the integrity of the union was in
jeopardy tho several States at the North will
ingly and unreservedly surrendered their re-
served rights to the general government.
The emergency called for heroic remedies,
and this was one of them. But this was
only temporary abdication of power, the
authority to be resumed when the emergency
ceased. There was no absolute surrender,
and even if it were so it would have no legal,
constitutional or binding effect, for an in
formal act cannot overturn q constitutional
provision. When the war ceased the States
resumed their sovereignty. In fact, they
had never surrendered it, but merely suffered
it to lapse. But the Republican party was
OF different mind. It's leaders had
achieved conviction that this must be
nation, with capital N, and in order
to render it so essayed the task of
making the States more prinoipalities,
dependent for their privileges upon the
pleasure of the government. For years
they succeeded in dwarfng the States and
aggrandizing the central government, but a
halt has been called and the demand is made,
backed by the organic law of the land, that
the States be accorded their share in the
government of the people. The agitation
at the last session brought the question
prominently before the people, and there it
is destined to remain until 1t is definitely
settled.
The right of the States to control all
affairs not especially delegated TO the general
government by the constitution is Demo-
cratic doctrine. 1t is doctrine comprising
the essence of republicanism-th right of
the people to govern themselves.
1t has been maintained by the party in the
past, and will be one of its rallyinp
points in the future. It concerns every citi-
zen more intimately, perhaps, than any other
principle before the public. 1t involves in
dividual liberty and personal safety. It in
wolves the greater issue of whether this
country shall remain government of the
people, or whether it will be transformed
into monarchy. If the doctrine of State
rights is obliterated, all obstacles to the
establishment of monarchy will be re-
moved. Though some may affect to ridicule
the idea that any such danger threatens, the
fact remains that the tendency of events is
all in that direction. The cry for 'fstrong
government that arises from the
Republican camp is simply a cry
for monarchism; the opposition to
recognition of the rights of the several
States to manage their own internal affairs
is dictated by the same impulse desire to
establish at Washingtona government which
shall supervise the affairs of the people of
the whole country. The effort to maintain
the privilege of keeping troops at the polls
is another of the ofsprings of the monarchi-
cal idea, and it's twin is the law giving power
to federal supervisors and deputy marshals to
control elections. They are all parts of one
complete system. They have all but one
purpose to subserve-the transformation of
the American republic into the American
nation, presided over by an emperor or
king. Imperialism has its advocates here.
and though many members of the party may
be ignorant of the import of their actions,
the Republican party is nevertheless the
party of imperialism, and is laboring with
great assiduity to revolutionize the govern
ment. These are facts. The only redemp.
ton that now offers itself is the re- assertion
of the doctrine of State rights-not in the
sense of the right of State to secede from
the federal compact, but in the sense of a
reservation of some of the governing powers
to those organizations and the curtailment
of the usurped authority of the administra-
ton at Washington.
Some time last winter Jim Keene, one of
the California bonanza kings, commenced