Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-08-16
Outside of the Constitution.

Says the Stalwart editor of Stalwart
organ, and other journals copy approx
ingly
Beginning with the war, there has
steadily grown desire for strong, cen.
tralized government. This feeling is
far from being a wish for anything not
conservative and liberal in fact, it is
common sense belief that for q better
protection Of the Government institu-
tions more paternal spirit should
actuate the administration Of public
affairs. The powers of the Government
during and succeeding the war have
been exercised outside of the constitu.
ton, and the people learned that by
such exercise OF authority good results
followed It is natural, therefore, that
these lessons are having an effect now
when troubles arise from which appar
emily no power but that of the Govern
ment can give relief.
Another Stalwart editor closely allied
with the Administration rises to remark,
with gravity intended to be profound.
ly impressive, that "the progressive
thought of civilization is toward cen.
tralization.n
The extreme Of centralization is the
one man power, an unlimited monarchy.
Its opposite is pure democracy, the peo,
pie actually ruling themselves. Our
democratic republic is a compromise
between these two systems, in which it
was the intention OF the fathers TO
make the nearest approach practicable
TO pure democracy. We are now told,
by able editors OF influential journals,
that the plan of the fathers is q failure
that "there is a steadily growing desire
for a strong centralized government =
that there is "a common sense belief
that the Government, in order to pro-
tect itself, must be more paternal,
and that "the progressive thought OF
civilization is getting farther and
farther away from a government of the
people, by the people and for the peo
ple-getting nearer and nearer to the
other extreme so happily illustrated in
Russia.
We commend the fraukness of these
writers, and wish their candor were
initiated by all who share their opinions.
They have a clear, indubitAble right to
advocate Capitalization even to its legi
innate conclusion, the one man power.
But they have no right to advocate it in
the way they are doing. They urge
that which is opposed to our constitu
tion, and they do not suggest, as they
ought, such changes in that instrument
as must be made IL their longings are
TO be realized.
One of these Stalwart writers has the
manly frapkness to admit that "the
powers Of the Government, during and
succeeding the war, have been exer.
eised outside Of the constitution" and
he claims that the people have seen
such "good results" from unconstitu.
tional government that they want more
of the same sort. We do not believe
in the theory of these Stslwart writers.
There is no safety except in honest,
conscientious adherence to the consti.
tution-the great charter Of our liber
ties. Every officer who has done official
acts "outside of the constitution" has
committed perjury, has deliberately
violated his oath, and has made war on
that which he was sworn to support and
defend. The penitentiary or the scaf.
fold would be the just reward for any
and every conscious, intelligent viola
tion of the constitution by any sworn
official of the Government. If one
official may safely violate his oath and
the fundamental law, all may safely dc
so. II that character may, with i'm
punity, be contemned and set at naugh
in one instance it may be totally disre
garded. Chaos, anarchy would be thu
inevitable result of the course approved
by the writer, whose views we hav'
stated in his own words.
II is not true, it is false, palpabl!
false, that the progress of the age is to
wards centralization. Decentralization