Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-05-22
Blazing the Way.


been blazing few more trees on the new
road to Imperialism. On his return to hi.
Ohio HON. few days since, he made Il
speech in winch he said:
81 am in favor of general law being
passed by congress to have the general
government take control of the congress
sional elections. The states should have
nothing to do in the conducting them.
The States 10y their legislatures elect
United States senators, who represent
them. The congressman should be elected
by the people, and under the control OF
the general government.
Il would give it into tho hands of the
courts. They should appoint supervisors
and marshals, and have the power, If nee
cssary, to call in the entire army to keep
the peace at the polls. Let the states hold
their local elections as they please, but let
the general government have one day in
two years to hold its elections, untram-
meled by state interference"
An audaciOus proposition 10y 1t bold. bad
man. This would be a giant stride to-
wards centralized absolutism. Taking
from the people the control of the election
of their own immediate representatives is
but one step in advance Ofdcprivng them
Of representation altogether, or the choice
of those who are to lcgislate for them.
John Sherman either fails to comprehend
the true relations existing between con-
grCsS and the people, OF he aims to destroy
them. The trainers of our government
aimed to make it rs near democracy as
practicable, and subseryient to the people
whose servant it was to be- In discussing
the form Of government they used the
figure Of colony, small enough to allow
every member to participate.
Some convenient tree would afford
them u state-housc, under the branches Of
which the whole colony might assemble
to deliberate on public matters. 1t is
probable that their first laws would have
the title of Regulations, and in this con-
gress every man by natural right would
have IL seat.
But as the colony increased, and the
public concerns increased likewise, and
the distance of which the members would
be separated, would render it to inconvcn.
lent for all of them to meet on every OCca-
sion, as at first This will point ont the
ltN''NNllN VI lllCll AJllNLHllllE w lNtlht wv
Legislative part to be managed by a select
number chosen from the whole body, who
are supposed to have the same concerns at
stake which those have who choose them,
and who will act in the same manner us
the whole body would if they were pres
Cnt.
Thus congress was established in lieu Of
the whole people to represent the whole
people, and who but the people should
control and manage the election Of prox-
les to represent themselves? Every man
has natural right to be his own repre-
sentative in the legislative councils of the
nation, but for convenience sake, a certain
number have agreed to delegate that right
to representative oftheir choice, but in
delegating that right, they reserved not
only the right of choice, but the right to
control the mode and manner Of cXcrcis
ing it,.
What is federal government, what
and who are they whom Sherman would
invest with the power to control the pco
pie choice representatives? 1t Is con-
grcss itself, is it the creature whom the
secretary would have control the creator?
He defines, by saying he would give the
congressional elections into the hands Of
the courts, which is equivalent to saying
that he would place the election OF the
peoples representatives under the control |
of the administration, or the executive |
branch Of the government with power TO
call out the entire army to compel the peo
pie to choose whom they will to represent
them.
He says ''let the states hold their local |
elections as they please, but let the gencr- |
al government have one day in two years |
to hold Its elections, untrammelcl by state
interference.
The government has noelections to hold, |
it is the thing elected, the body chosen, |
without the power of choice itself, OF the
right to control that of others.
1t is true the states, by their legiSla- |
lures, elect United States senators who |
represent them. Senators are chosen to |
represent the states in their organic capac-
ity, while the members of congress are
elected by the people to represent them in.
divldually, and as the two bodies conSti |
tutc one of the coordinate branches Of the
federal government, the same rule which |
requires the election of the latter to be
placed under the control of the courts, will
apply with equal force to the former.
Place the control of its elections in its
own hands, and if an administration did
not perpctuate itselfit would be stupid in.
deed. There is but little danger that this
high-handed scheme will succeed but it
shows the tendency of the Republican
leaders, and coroborates the charge of
The Express, and that party is digging the
grave Of American liberty.