The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-09-27

"pistol argument"
STATE RIGHTS AND STATE
AFFAIRS.
One of the articles contributed to The
COMET by "Tax Payer" makes very
pregnant suggestion in speaking of the
thirst for Federal offices in our ofice-seek-
ing public men, and the preference shown
in SO marked degree for Federal offices
over State offices. This suggestion brings
to view a fact of great significance. The
multiplication of States has tended to exalt
the central government by diminishing the
individual importance of the States. When
there were but thirteen States, the voice of
one State, her protest. was influential, but
it would attract but little attention in the
now thirty-eight States of the Union.
The central government represents the
power, and has surrounded itself with all the
"pomp and circumstance" which belong TO
the chief government of great people. 1t
has vast revenues and vast patronage; the
army and navy; the conduct of war and
negotiations. 1t therefore has that sort of
pre- eminence which attracts to it the ambi-
ton of men.
When this splendid government is not
under the guidance and dominion of a
purely sectional party, there is added to its
legitimate pre-eminence, the attachment
which people feel for government which |
touches them only with benifcent hand,
in giving neutrality-suspicious. and homesteads. |
The State governments, on the other hand,
represent the burdens and meddlesome |
spirit of government. They are taxing |
machines without the counterpoise of the |
majesty and splendor of power, CT the
gratitude which flows to the author of benz
efactions.
These are the natural and inevitable ten
denotes of our system; but they might be
legitimately counteraoted if the estate
rights men would exercise the rights which
they contend for, and if some of that abil-
ity and energy which are directed to seour-
ing Federal offices, could be brought to
bear on our local affairs.
There has not been local question in
Mississippi politics for thirty years-if we
except the contest of 1875 National ques-
tons and rational offices constitute the
only material of State politics, when it is
admitted on all hands that the evils from
which The people now suffer can no moro
be reached by Congress than it can reach
those which now affiict tho people of old
England. s
1t cannot be said that there are no differ
ence of views respecting State affairs, for
the estate rights" man contends-and we {
agree-that we have all the questions of l
domestic concern, and all the control of {
them which pertain to any self governed '
people. The truth is, State affairs notwith- v
standing the noisy clamor for State r
lights are held in such contempt that il
hey excite no interest. Men refuse to C
'orm opinions respecting any local policy,
est they may hamper their aspirations for t
lational official life. We thus, in q man n
Ter, add our own indifference to the natu- ii
al tendencies at work to depress the real IL
ignity of State governments. h
1t was once said of these tendencies, that cl
be National Government was like the
fountain of loadstone which drew the iron
otis and fastenings from the ship of sins q
ad the Sailor, and left it a helpless and dis nj
lantled wreck on the water, We push D
State rights" great way ahead of State hi
ride and State work. We are almost as &C
ad as that body of Estates rights militia it
hich in the war of 1912 stood debating CT
le constitutionality of forcing State or
lllitia to cross over to Canada, while they n,
itnessed the desperate struggle between CT,
lie American and British forces just across ~
le line. When people treat their own on
'ncerns with neglect, and almost with II,
'ntempt, they but ill subserve the princi-
g of local self-government by shouting
State rights!' We
The agricultural lien law the State rev. nc
Tue system, as it affects the flow of money 81
I'd capital to or from the State; The labor tb
stem and the complex questions growing
1t of new antagonisms, claiming as they or
}, the purest patriotism and the best in =; 70
tellect of the State for their solution, are ca,
effect shelved in an election to consti- SUI
tie the Legislative body which is to deal I'D
th them. a.
We blame not so much the gentlemen vel
10 seek to crafty their ambition for high
icial station, as the public mind of the 10
ate which seems to lend itself so much
National politics and so little to State
airs. val