The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1884-02-21
A LETTER FULL OF MARROW
Jackson Mississippian.

ceived, carefully read and fairly con-
sidered, and aside from all personal
interest on my part | must dissent
from your coclusion. | have always
entertained great respect for and con-
fdence In your Judgment upon any
question you assumed to express an
opinion, and Tor the reason that |
knew you to be thinking man.
But upon the absorbing question Of
Railroad Supervision, you have not
to me pursued your usual methods of
investigation, but have been content
to look upon the surface Of this great
question, and appear to have accepted
as the creed Of your faith the undi-
gested and hastily written views CON
tanned in the press of the country.
Allow me to invite your attention
to the bedrock principles that under
lie this question and to point out to
you the logical results Of your views
if they should become legalized by
Legislative enactment. know that
you are devoted to the system of our
Government as formed by the Faith
ers, and that you earnestly desire to
secure the results which they had in
view. But the principles which you
at present insist should be embodied
in the statutes as part of the law Of
your State, are at war with the theo-
ry and genius Of our institutions as
conceived and administered by Mr..
Jefferson and his apostles, and as in
terpreted by the Courts of the coun
try. The differences in our views are
sharp, clear, distinct and fundament-
al. Your views necessarily lead you
to the conclusion: That all power re-
sides in the Government and that it
is supreme and absolute and that the
people are its servants.
While on the other hand I insist,
that all power resides in the people
and that the Government is the agent
OF the people to secure them in the
protection of life, liberty and proper
ty.
If your views should obtain the
Government would have the right to
deprive the citizen against his con-
sent of his property, by Legislative
enactment, and that, too, without the
right of having the matter judicially
Investigated and determined.
If the State has the right to estab-
fish rates which will reduce the pro
fits upon a given business to foul
per cent, then it may establish that
the profits shall be only two per cent
or such rates as that there shall be
no profits at all.
For the same reason, and by viz
tue of the same principles, the power
to make any rates of charge to apply
to public or private business, in
wolves the power to prescribe all rates
and thus destroy the capacity of pro
ducing profits or gains. There is nc
possibility of escape from this connec
ton. 1t is no answer to this argu
ment to say: That you propose tc
restrict the Supervisory power of The
State 50 that it shall apply to corpor
atoms alone; because it must be borne
in mind that corporations are citizens
of the State which create them. Thi.
fact has been settled by the Courts
beyond all possibility Of cayal or dis
pute.
The agitation of this question is al
present prolessediy against the prop
erty held by corporations; but the
step from the property of corporation
to that Of private owners is shor
and easy one, and void soon be ia
ken. Internationally of course, bu
none the less truly, your views in
volve the very essence Of the destruct
i've theories maintained by the social
lists of France and Germany. 1t is 4
fact worthy of notice that theorie o
Governmental powers is identical IL
its essential features with that main
| tanned by King Charles the First il
his long contest with the Englisl
people and Parliament. King Charlie.
asserted and undoubtedly believed
that all Governmental power wa.
held supremacy and absolutely by
himself, and not in any way as del
egate and representative ofhis yeoplt
but through divine right as gift from
God.
According to this view all the linn
itations upon his royal prerogatives
were voluntary concessions made by
himself, to be construed and judge
solely according to his own under
standing, and not to be extended
without his consent. 1t is certainly
a remarkable coincidence to IND 8
citizen like yourself and others, who
may rightly and Justly beast of being
the political representatives of the
people, and imbued with the Politica
ideas and doctrines of our Father,
Whose ancestors denied and reiectec
the claims Of Charles Firs0now advo
eating essentially the principles anc
seeking to have them applied and en-
grated upon the Constitutions of the
several States and of the United
States, which instruments are the EN-
bodlment of exactly the opposite con
ceptions and doctrines. According
to the American theory neither the
Government of the United States
nor those of the several States, pos
sess acy inherent powers, and much
less are they sovereign. Their pow
ers are all delegated to them by the
Sovereign (the people, who created
them, and the Constitutions are the
Instruments which evidence such del
egation. Sovereignty resides alone
in the people, not as a mere mass OF
individuals, but in their organic char
acter as body polite. The affirma-
tive grant Of powers are imposed up
on the Government by the same Sow
ereign for the protection of the indi-
vidual persons of whom it is compos-
ed. 1t might perhaps appear to you
and vo,,r allias that the fore