Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-10-21

ASlASOi. 4AC bILIl6 udS COlIlG Wutu lb ID
our duty, with patriotic care, to find out
Dy tests and comparisons, to what ex-
tent the seeds of corruption already
have been scattered over our land. The
storm has passed over the ship of state;
the sun shines out. Let us now take
observations and see how far subtle cur
rents may have borne il from its true
and safe course. There were no truer
sentiments ever expressed than those ut
tered by Judge Story, when he said that
governments that have resisted armed
invasion, that have repelled open as
saults, and that have displayed patriotic
heroism which has excited the admira-
tion OF the world, may ignobiy perish
from corruptions which sap their foun-
dations and which blight the virtues of
their people. At this time we have
nothing to fear from reasonable resist
ance, but we appeal to men of all parties
to see if we are exempt from the dangers
of corrupt practices or mistaken policies
of government. Republicans who may
not agree with Us as to the lines which
divide the jurisdiction of the general
and State governments, owe it to them.
selves and to their country to check
treason against the rights of States
either in their distinct or united rela-
tionships. The life of the Union is
bound up " ith the lives of States. The
States united makes our Union. When
these cease to exist our government is
overthrown, and the Constitution of our
country perishes. We all agree in this.
DANGERS FROM USURPATION.
To put in strong light the duty
which the people of the North owe to
themselves and their country, of MAX
ing scrutiny into the pactices of our
government, to learn if it is invading
their rights and interests, L avail my
self of the statements made by the senior
senator of the State in a speech recently
made in New York. AS it is true that
the largest share of the population, of
the wealth. and of the varied interests
and pursuits of our people are in the
Northern section of our Union, they
will suffer most by unwise legislation.
The North will VIZ ong itself if it allows
its attent on to be drawn entirely from
its own affairs by prejudice against
others. MIR. Conkling shows in clear
way that the great volume of the COM
merce, of the bank transactions, of capi-
tai in railways, of manufacturing and
mining products, and of other interests
affecting the welfare of society are at the
North. He shows how much larger the
percentage of these interests are in COM
parison with those of the South. At
the North, then, we find the greatest
liability to injure from unwise legisla-
ton, the strongest temptations to fraud
and corruption, the most urgent reasons
for care and watchfulness against abuse.
1t excites surprise when we seek to en-
ter upon this duty that we do not find
that those who have controlled the gov
ernment so many years are willing to
cooperate with us in wholesome exam
ination. They turn away the public
mind from the subject by declaring that
the pending election is sectional con-
test, and that we must give up our
thoughts to structures upon the
conduct of the minority in the
South and to questions affecting
the minor interests of others, and not
to our greater concerns at home. Our
merchants, manufacturers, farmers and
mechanics are liable to the greatest
evils if men who know but little about
the nature and details of their pusuits are
allowed to meddle with them in the
way of law-making. The senator, there
fore, in his able review of the compara-
tive interests of the North, was made to
see the danger which overhung them, il
the government at Washington, which
SO unequally represents population or
pursuits, should legisla.e unduly with
regard to them. He dwells on the fact
that the Southern States have in the
Senate and in the electoral college repre-
sentations beyond what their numbers
would give them, and that is not Just or
wise to subject Northern interests to the
action of body thus constituted. But
why does he stop herep Why does he
not tell you that his candidate and his
party make all this danger by centraliz-
ing powar at Washington? Why does
he not also exhibit to you other and
greater instances of unequal senatorial
representation Why does he not go on
and finish his statements of fact and his
argument, and show the wisdom of the
provisions of our Constitution that
limit the action of our general govern
ment, SO that it may not become unjust
and oppressive as a result of this un-
equal division of power in its controlr
He confines himself to theatened evils
from the South; he does not state the
fact that these evils grow out of the
construction put upon the Constitution
by those who have controlled the gen.
eral government for many years. If the
ratio of representation from the South
is peril to our country, then greater
disparities in other sections are greater
dangers. If the constitution of the
Senate makes it an unfair tribunal, why
do MH Garfield and others demand that
the great home rights and interests shall
be controlled by itP If there is inius-
tice in its action, it is owing to
the policy of the Republican party in ex-
tending its jurisdiction against the letter
and spirit of the Constitution. Within
these the influence of the Senate will be
a security against injustice and sectional
designs. When it oversteps its juris-
diction it becomes a peril to our coun
try. The arguments of tie Republican
leaders mean that they have perverted
the action of the Senate and made it an
unfair tribunal, and therefore the gov
ernment should be left in their hands,
lest others should do as they have done.
On the other hand, we demand that the
organization of our government shall
not be perverted, shall not be made
curse, but blessing. Under the Con-
stitution it is wise and just system.
Under the Republican policy it has been
dangerous and unjust. This is the great
issue between parties. He maps out in q
striking way all the great interests OF the
Northern section, and then says If the
Democratic party carry this election
they all lie at the mercy of the minority
of the people, who, he charges, are ami
mated by hostile sentiments. Let us
take UP, then, the statement of facts and
the line OF argument where the Senator
leaves off, and we shall reach conclusions
which prove the necessity to the pros
perity of our country of change in its
administration we will prove that
while we have been absorbed for twenty