Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-08-06
Federal supervision and control. This

extreme OF consolidation on the other.
Secession held that the Union might
be divided whenever any State boliov-
cd that the Constitution has been vic,
lated. On that theory the Republic
was but rope of sand. Consolidation
demands that the Federal Government
shall exercise all powers which the
dominant party may think expedent.
On that theory all the boundaries of
Federal power so carefully marked by
our foreiathers will be obliterated, and
we shall have one great imperial gov
ernment, to which the States will have
the same relations that the counties
and townships now have to the States.
Secession would have broken up the
Union into petty, but free republics I;
consolidation would swallow up the
States, and sink liberty in an empire.
Follow citizens, was not brought
up in the school OF strictest construc.
ton Of the Constitution, and far less in
the school known as Estates Rights"
My venerated father, under and about
whose roofyou are assembled to night,
who gave large part of bis life to the
study OF our complex form OF Govern
ment, taught his sons to learn from the
Constitution as expounded by the
fathers and the courts, that the gem
eral Government is supreme only
within the scope OF its limited and de-
fined powers, and the States and the
people thereof also supreme in the ex.
ercise of all powers not granted to the
Federal Government. He taught them
that it was equally the duty Of the pa
triot to maintain in full vigor all the
powers granted TO the general Gov
ernment, and all the powers reserved
to the States respectively or to the
people so that our dual form of
government might not be lost through
either the centripetal or the centrifugal
forces Of the system. He willingly
saw his sons go forth to battle Tor the
constitutional powers of the Federal
Government and now, were he yet
among us, he would, believe approve
their effort to resist, by peaceful
methods, the attempt to impair the
distinctive feature of our system of
government on which depends the per.
petuation of popular liberty.
CONCLUSION.
My friends, all the policies OF the
Republican party have discussed this
evening, though apparently differing
widely in character, are in TACT closely
related in purpose and effect. | believe
them all to be part OF a general ten.
dency Of the classes which control that
party, to practically subvert popular
government. The steps are first to de-
stroy the independence ofthe masses by
immensely increasing the burdens Of
debts and taxes and by cutting off the
opportunities and rewards Of labor
and by the same act swell the wealth
and power Of the favored classes; and
then, by allying the money power to
the illimitable forces of Government
patronage and plunder, to control elec.
tons by bribery and force and practi-
cally subvert the free rule of the ballot.
Look at the powers which may be
brought to bear to effect this re.
suit See the vast growth of cornora.
tions, some of which already rule
with an iron hand the greatest States
Of the Republic; look at the two
thousand National banks, holding al.
nest every business man and business
interest m their grasn see the ve,era n
corps of one hundred tbousand active
partisans maid from the nublic treasurv
and tell me whether If the nolicv
which has impoverished the mass Of
the people and piled mn tho vast for.
tunes which have risen as ranidlv as
cloud mountains in the skv shall
be permitted 10 on on these nowers
backed by the army and navy
NAV not soon be strona onorah -
make the rule by ballot as completely
a farce as it was in the Republic OF the |
the bogus NAPOLEON. Neither the
great wealth holding powers of this
Republic. nor the party which renre.
sents them. can be trusted with the
preservation Of the sacred fire Of liberty
They have not sufficient interest IN
preserving il. Tbey are at least as
safe under corrupt and aristocratic
rule. They want privilege, exemp.
ton. aristocracy not eaual rights
canal taxation and the bailot II NAV
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