The Dawson journal., 1884-04-17
Baya-tl's Warning.
.SavannrA Niews.

NtNos
Senator Bayard's speech last
Saturday night, at the dinner OF
the Young Mems Democratic
Club OF Brooklyn, appears to have
improved his prospects a little as
Presidential candidate. Although
no man stands higher in the party
than Senator Baysrd, AMI 81
though 10 man has a cleaner and
more honorable record, at no time
has his Presidential prospects
been promising. His state is sol
idly Democratic, and il it were
not It's ELECTORAL vote is rot q mat
ter OF very great consideration. If
Mr. Bayard we're a New Yorker
he would stand an excellent chance
Of being nomitsted at Chicago
His friends think he can carry
New York and are urging that as
a reason why he should be nomi-
mated. 1t is noticeable that the
leading New York paper deyotes
nearly the whole OF lis report of
the Brooklyn dinner to his speech.
This may be significant, or it may
simply indicate that the speech
was the only one, in the opinion of
the paper, worthy OF publication.
The speech was a warning that
will excite comment, but which
Will not be productive Of practical
results. The Senator warned the
country that the growing power of
Congress threatened the stability
of the Republic The unbridled
law Of Congressional majority,
he said, had been substituted for
the constitution. This is putting
the situation strongly, but if it is
not the exact truth it is not far
from it. The talk about constitu-
ton restraints is very weak com
pared to what it used to be in the
halls OF Congress. When the ma
jority party favors a measure the
constitution, il il is in the way, is
not allowed to be an insurmor nta-
BILE obstacle. Soon after the legal
tender decision was rendered by
the Supreme Court, Senator In
gals wanted to know from his
place in the Senate il there was
anything that Congress couldn't
do, and nobody rose to answer
him. Silence did not mean that
there was no ether than a negative
answer to his question in the opin-
ion of the Senate, but it did mean
that the Senate recognized that
the government was drifting to-
wards contradiction with wonder
ful rapidity. When the work of
tearing away the restraints OF a
Legislative body is once begun it is
impossible to predict where it will
stop. The safest prediction i
that it will stop only when all the
restraints have been removed
The Republican party is RESPONSE
bic for what has thus far been
done towards clothing Congress
with the vast power which it now
claims to have, and If that party
remains in power much longer
nothing will be left to the states.
Their boundary lines will be OBJ
liberated practically, and the pow
er OF the central government will
make itself felt everywhere in the
nation in ali matters that Con
gress deems worthy Of notice.
MIR. Bayard says there are two
weys to re-establish the authority
of the constitution and to confno
Congress within its original limitg,
but only one OF them, viz, by
amending the constitution, appears
to be at all feasible. No reform
need be expected, however, as
long es the Republican party re-
mains III power. 1t is doubtful if
it is possible to restore to the con-
stitution the authority it once
possessed, but whatever is done in
that direction must be done by the
Democratic party.