The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1884-05-03

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!, God fondle you, and safely bring
Q You to your own at last.
n Governor TiIden ON the COnst
tuition.
. The following able and statesman
t like letter addressed by Gov. Tide
! to the Iroquois Club in New Yorl
/ by which he had been invited to r.
spond to the sentiment, "The Fec
eral Constitution" is of peculiar in
. tcrest at this time:
New YoRK, April IL, 1884.
To s: Corling Judd, Chairman of the PolltI
cal Committee, Iroquois Club;
Gentlcmen--I have had the homo
to receive your invitation to the thirC
annual banquet of the IrOquois Clut
to respond to the sentiment, "The
Federal Constitution;" | have also re
ceived private letters asking q written
response to the sentiment, in case
am prevented from attending. | have
been for some time, and am still, ex,
ceptionally exgrossed with business,
which | have no power to defer or
abandon. | must, therefore, commu-
nicate with you in writing, and my
answer must be brief.
On the formation OF the Federal
Constitution Governor Morris, who
had been conspicuous member of
the convention, being asked what he
thought of the Constitution, replied /:
That depends upon how it is con-
strued." "The Democratic party was
originated in the resistance by the
more advanced patriots of the Revo-
lutien to the efforts which were made
to change the character of govern
ment by false construction of the
Constitution, imposing new system
on monarchiCal bias. Mr.. JefIerson's
election in 1900 rescued our free in.
stitutions from the perils which sur
rounded them, and secured sixty years
of administration mainly in harmony
with their design and true character.
When an attempt was made to break
the Union and TO dismember the ter
ritorial intimacy of the country, the
people were compelled to make
manly choice between these caIamities
and the dangerous influence Of civil
war upon the character of the govern
ment. They patrioticalIy and wisely
resolved to save the Union first and to
repair the damage which our political
system might sustain when the more
imminent danger had been provided
against.
The first work was successfully ac-
but twenty years have
since elapsed and the work of restor-
ng the government to its original
character is not yet accomplished,
Our wise ancestors had warned us
hat if we fell into civil discord our
rec system was liable to perish in the
truggle by an insensibIe change of its
character. Not only have the best ira
iitions of the patriots who won indie
'endence and established freedom,
ost their authority, but our cherished
political system is slowly losing its
lold open life under the fungus
,rowths of false constructions and
corrupt practices.
The government itself has become
menacing factor in elections. As
ong ago as 1876 | expressed the
pinion that the opposition must en-
race at the beginning of the canvass
of the voters to maintain a
majority at the election. In this, his
ory repeats itself. In most countries c
he government maintains itielf by l
Orce or fraud even in the compare
We popular system of England, the !
lonarchy has until lately controlled 1
majority of Parliament, and fire.
uently decided elections by court /
.vors, jobs and money taken from a
ne public treasury. This is hard a
lying, but the recent publication of q
he papers of deceased statesmen leave D
o doubt upon the snbject. B
In cur own country, the govern G
Ient, instead of standing as an i'm q
artial arbiter amid the conflicts of y
aturing opinion and coDtending in s.
rests, has itself descended into the n
rena, equipped with all the weapons 50
partiEanship. Its myriads of Office d
1lders, its alliances with or against "
lst pecuniary interests, its Unlimited te
'mmand of money, levied from its
sfendants and contractors, have suf-
,ed to determine majority in every tn
lse but one. In that case it collected y
e military forces around the Capt. =
!, and by this and other menaces IN I, ~
Undated Congressional Representa- "
yes Of majority Of the people to "
linqnish the fruits Of their victory N
d surrender the government to the
ntrol Of a minority.
No reform of administration is
ssible SO long as the government Is pl
rected 6y party which is under fo
9 dominance Of false doctrines and 81
imated by enormous peenniary in
rest in peFpetuating existing abuses,
The first etfectual step in the reform al
our government must be funda- Gu
entail change IN the policy Of its ad, y
The work Of reform ggs y
d be difficult enough with the whole N 4,
wer Of the government exegted In ~