The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-10-28
TOO MUCH GOVERNED.

'ne people are 1smperod by TOO many man
datory and prohibtory laws, both tundamen
tai and statute. The gist and substance of
the difference in the principles of the repub.
lican and the democratic parties, is that the
former believes in the Capitalization of pow
or, the massng of it at one fountain head
whence all authority must emanate, while
ths latter believes in the decentralization of
power and authority, in home rule, in the
management of affairs by the people them
selves. Experience shows that this subdiv-
sion of power and authority is of extreme
importance for the reasons that it is medi-
UNI for the people by which they may be
enabled to understand the art of self govern
ment, and because il becomes bu wark
between the. people and the rulers to resist
any ercroachments upon the rights and
liberties of the country. TIE more tho PEG.
pie understand and become fsmiiarzed with
the theories and practice of their.governmcnt,
with tho authority themse YES to dc the
governing, the. better and stronger and freer
that government. France nomnally is u 10
public. The thrones, both of the monarchy
and of the empire, have been torn down and
no crowned head is seen in Versailles, yet it
is virtually the. veriest despotism. The
decentralization of power is something un.
heard of that country. 1t is central
government because all local officers are
appointed, not elected. Suppose, for in
stance, that the president of the United
States appointed all the governors of the
states, lieutenant governors, attorneysgen-
erals, etc; all the sherifls, district and
county clerks, district and county Judges,
district and county attorneys, mayors and
aldermen. This would be Capitalization.
and 1t takes but half an eye to perceive how
efiectually the people would be enslaved,
how utterly powerlesS they would be towards
exercising any functions whatever in direct.
ing or giving tone 10 the management of
the government. With bad
and unscrupulous man as pr dent, to put
into position and power bad and unscrupu-
lous men like himself TO assist him in per-
petrating his power tho people would be
unable, except by revolution, to prevent
his subverting the form of government and
devoting it to his own ACKNOWLEDGMENT. This
is just what the republican leaders are aim
ing at to-day. Little by little they have
ovorridden the bet ests of the constitution
and encroached upon tho prerogatiyes and
liberties of the people until, if Garfield
sh Juld DO elected next Tuesday, they, in
toxcated with their success and encouraged
by the seeming acquiesence of the people,
will take still holder steps towards bri. ging
the country to the condition of France,
republic but in name, the mockery of that
government established by the fathers of
the land, and hallowed by the chrism of the
blood of '76. Whatever tho side issues IA
between the two parties may be, and the tar,
i'll, the finances and all other issues
ARE side Issues this one Of cen.
tralizaton, or home rule, is the vital
question to be settled on the I'd of Novem-
Der. The democracy claims that if n free
government is to be perpetustei, the people
must be left to act for themselves whenever
they can, without hindrance on the part of
tho government. So far as the constitution of
the United States is concerned, we are not pre-
pared to say that it is susceptible of any very
great Improvement, except, probably, that
the manner therein prescribed for the cleo
ton of president and vice president ought to
be changed, so that they would be elected
directly by the people, tho popular or plu>
rality vote deciding. tho matter. But the
constitutions of the states are defective, that
of Texas being extremely SO. The instru-
mont is entirely too cumbersome 1t requires
too much and inhibits too much. If the
people are free, and have the right to GOV
ern themselves according to their own de.
sires, provided they do rot conflict with tho
federal constitution, why should they, by
fundamental law, restrict themselves in any,
thing, not subverSive OF society or of re-
publican form ofgovernment' Why should
state constitution contain anything more
than a short bill of rights, an article declar-
ing that there shall be a specified number of
state officers, and defining the duties of each
and the manner of their election; decls ring
that there shall bc legislature of two
houses, AID limiting the number of members
each and the qualifications necessary !; estab-
fishing the judiciary and their ten.
ure of office; prescribing the number
OF county officers and their respective func.
tons, and tn IN stopping. Why should there
be long string of sections commanding the
legislature as to what it shall do, and another
long string inhibiting it from doing this, that
and the other? The constitution of this state
HIS seventeen articles, aggregating two hun.
dred and eighty-nine sections, and the cues.
ton is, why would not about four articles
aggregating about thirty sections answer
just as well? Society is the foundation OF
all government and we ask if the people of a
government are not happier, are not freer,
when they are trammeled by no laws except
those absolutely necessary for the good of so.
clety, for the maintenance of good order, for
| tho nrAtactiOn IF lifa and nrono,t,,9 D.