Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-02-16
THE PARAMOUNT DUTY.

Is the most important dniy devolving
on the Democratic party II may al
most be said that this Ia the mission of
the Democracy, for the transcendant
Importance of this obligation. dwarls
all Others TO comparative insignificance.
Other objects Of Democratic interest
aud effort, such as honesty and econo.
my in the public service, relate merely
to matters of detail, but this embraces
the form of government, this grapples
the question whether the Republic
shall live or be superseded by q cen.
tralized despotism, as unlike the gov.
ernment established on the Federal
Constitution as the system of Russia is
unlike that of Great Britain,
From the infancy of this Republic
to the present hour there has always
been party-under various names,
but holding to one purpose with a
tcnacity that has seemed to gather
strength from defeat--whoso leading
spirits have desired and sought to
make this "strong" or "paternal'
government Ever since the adoption
Of the Constitution, this school OF
statesmen and politicians have been
dissatisfied with the scope OF power
therein delegated to the General Gov.
ernment, and have pursued course
steadily and persistently aggressive on
the tcsorved rights Of the States. Had
not this continuous effort to transfer
the rightful authority of the States to
the central mechanism been combatted
by long line of illustrious patriots
who have been conspicuous leaders Of
the Democracy, there would now be
little left Of either the form or sub.
stance Of the Federal system as it
came from the hands of its builders.
If there is one thing in our institu.
tions to which the masses are more
strongly attached than any other fea.
ture, it is local self:government, and
local scli.government is all that is EN-.
braced in the Democratic theory OF
States rights, The Republican states.
man or demagoguo who asserts that
States rights means secession or that
the States rights doctrine includes
secession, is a willful deceiver, for he
knows that secession and the institu.
tion ont OF which it grew are dead and
have been for fifteen years. He who
declares that State sovereignty, as
claimed by Democrats, is inconsistent
with the undisputed sovereignty Of
the Nation in all powers and duties
delegated to the National authority
by the Constitution, as amended, ia
either grossly ignorant man or utters
what he knows to be untrue. The
man who charges that the advocates
of States rights, as defined by Demo.
Gratis, are in favor of anything that is
not guaranteed by the Constitution,
as interpreted by the court of last re-
sort, makes charge that has no
foundation in fact.
We have no doubt that the advo-
Gates Of Capitalization are honest in
their belief that we need "a strong
Government" They have no conf
dence in anything that approaches
Democracy. They have great faith
in the few no faith in the many. But
they and their predecessors have been
defeated in the past, and they or their
successors will succeed no better in
the future. All that is necessary to
insure the maintenance Of local rights
is for the Democratic party to meet
the issue boldly and squarely when.
ever and wherever ii may be present.
cd, to point TO the well.defned line of
demarkation between Federal and local
authority, to hurl back the insolent
charge of "disloyalty," to show by the
facts OF our history that the Nation
thrives best when the rights of the
States are not menaced or assailed,
and TO insist as the surest guarantee
of National development, greatness
and glory in the future that the Ma
ton, sovereign in all its delegated
powers, shall sacredly respect the
sovereignty of the States in all powers
not surrendered or forbidden by the
fundamental law, the charter of Ma.
tional life.
To THE SENATORIAL PAsTERs. Tho
Legislative Record, No. l3, dated Janu.
ary 9th, to No. ls, dated February
ID, camo to hand on the 10th of Feb.