Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1885-03-17


and Whole ColuInnsi 70 annual, Semi-A Annual
and Quarterly Advertisers.
No advertisement to DO considered BY the
month or year unless speetfed on the Name
script or PreSousls agreed upon between the
paItte -
and In the absence OF cong sionai iegislatioh.
from points within 70 pofpt q thoQts and from
points without to points Thin, the State, Is q
Necessary sovereign power ~ government that
can neither be barteret nor given asay by
State Legislation 5s s5ss,-,5s.f. e,e22
NE may DO told 10 wait fOT Congress TO act.
We have already waited many years anasre-
lief Is still denied The House of Rcpresenta-
tives, following the lead OF the broad:rninded
noble and intrepid Texan, has again and again
passed reasonable, lust aud Salutary measures,
only to suffer defeat ia the Senatorial end of
the capitol, where the demands OF tho public
are seldom heard and corporate monopoly
reigns supreme. This Is no new subject to our
people; they passed dtreotly upon L in 1ST9,
when bV4thetr vote they declared by their con-
Rdtution that ailrOads heretofore couStFucted
State, arc ety declared pn6llc hlghYayt,
and shall to all persons for the trans
pOrtatfep OF th6ir persons aud properly there
on, under such regulations as shall be pre-
time to time pass laws apptiS toail railroad
corporations in tho State, hing roas0n-
able maximum rates of claf 81 the tTRnS-
portation of passengers and ift3etts ikn5i pro-
Hidtng for the correction of abuses, the preYen-
ton OF unjust iscrinliualioas between through
and local or way freight aud passenger TARIFF,
and for the protection of tho just rights of the
public aud shall enforce snch laws BY ade-
quate penalties"
. Many States have similar eonsti titutional pro-
visions. aud have applied the statutory remedy
without hesitation or evasion. None need 1t
SO sorely as we. as none arc Disseminated
against so mercilessly. I stand By this constt-
tutionai command iuits every line and syllable,
and shall In the future. as havG in the past,
give freely whatever assistance l can that IL
may be obeyed In letter aud spirit.
we assure most cheerfully every protection
to ratlroad corporations that we secure to our
selves we would not do them Injustice In one
single particular, nor placa one obstacle In the
way OF their legitimate success we Will ever
be ready to encourage mud 0ssist them In al
their lawful undertakings but having given
them corporate existence with NIL their powers
and privileges, for the benefit Of our oWnSciG-
gems, we demand that our lands shall no longer
be used as u mere pathway for the commerce
OF the west; that their franchises shall not hA
applied as so many Instruments 10 hinder our
development and delay oNr prosperity; that
our people shall receive the same cnnsid dcraHOn
and fntr dealing accorded to those OF ugighbofS
ing States; that there shull be no greater
churgeS for freight or passenger, for q shorter
than a longer distauceS In the saIne direction
and that for all pCTsuus there shall be the same
facilities. md the same price for like service,
y the abolition aud prevention Of every. spe-
ctes of c2torttun and discrimination.
We shall insist also In common Justice toRn
tax paying persons, naturalnud corporate, that
the unlawful evasion of taxes by tho Chesa-
peake aud Ohio and the Baltimore aud Ohio
railroad companies. SO long and SO succcssful-
~ practtced in the past, shall not be repeated,
and that they shall pay their taxes for the sup
port OF Goverpment-Stntc, county aud distriot
fully and without conpromiso Just the same
as all others arc required TO do. II Is to be
hoped, too, that ouS Legislature will ennct such
Jaws AZ may hc necessary tO cifcctuOlly prohibit
The distribution of railroad passes To public
concerning which shis State hna not eScaped
experience of mn exceedingly instructive ma
lure,
But. fellow .cltizens, wrirhty ms are All the
interesting questions relating directly to the
material development aud fnaucinl prosperity
ot the State, II Is Of vHttly moro Importance
70 the great body of the people that our polit-
lcal institutions he preserved In NIL their nuris
ty. simplicity. strength aud vlgor; and, to this
end. that we shall ever hold IN view the self.
evident truths that free government aud the
OF liberty can be preserved to any
people only by a firm adherence to Justice,
temperance. frugRlity aud virtue,
aud by frequent recurrence to Fundamental
principles, aud that = eternal Vigilance Is the
price of liberty" as truly and certainly iutimes
OF peace as when the lowering clouds of war
are obscuring the sunlight of freedom. the pas
Sions OF man run mud. and civil authority has
been subordinated to the Iron hand Of military
power.
Possessed as we are of the best form aud tya-
tenor government ever devised by the wisdom
OF man, or concentrated by patriot blood so
rests upon us the grundCst responsibility ever
assumed by any people to preserve inViOlRte
the priceless inheritance thnt IL may pass from
our hands as II curne from the fathers, q bles-
sing to Posterlty in ngcs yet to come.
"A Federal Government for federal purposes
and state Governments for home Tule-com-
binlng in unity, by written Orgunie law, all
those specifically delegated powers of tho re-
spectlVe States, Indispensable in our dealings
and intercourse with foreign nations, and such
other limited powers only, as for the, general
welfare are necessary TO be exercised Internal
lyi the acme OF tile science of FREQ government
has been attained in creating the United States
OF America-the Eraudest political orgRniZa.
ton upon the face of the earth--while resery-
tug TO the people and to the States respectively
against the dangers of centraIf1Hs
tion and consolidation, the Inestimable and
exclusive right of local sGlf.gOVernmgnt.
From the earliest days of colonial history
until the present hour. the liberty-loying Amefv
lean. with Nn unchanging and unswervfnR a.
deity, mas maintained tits reserved right Of
local self-government us the true IL not the
only reliable and perfect safeguard to theinsti-
tuaons OF our country. IL was for this that
thirteen independent colonies, with the free
offering pledge of life, of fortune aud Of sacred
honor, united in one common cause to resist q
common danger, repel common enemy, and
establish the Independence Of these States. It
was because OF its jealous regard that the old
articles of confederation were but - q rope of
sand" and the constitution of the United states
lay hopelessly stranded upon public dlsfayor,
unLll tue guarantee hud come from almost
every State from MRHsachuSetts to the Carolis
mas "a guarantee that asprOInptly fulfilled by
the adoption of the fret ten aInendments), that
the 0TnisssiOn of bill Of rights should be- sup
piled, and all uhdeleguted powers reserved BY
declaration. The creation, by OF.
ganic law, OF three departments of gOverris
ment-legi gislativc. judicial and executive-and.
as u barrier against encroaehfneut providing
that they should be separate, distinct and CO.
ordinate, was an immense advance over all
other forms and experiments for the teguPitY
and perpetuatiOn OF free. government but for
nfurther and more potential security through
the wisdom, the patriotism and the love of 6fi-
man freedom that actunted. moved and direct
ed the founders of the Republic that vast res
sidlum of uudelegated power was carefully re-
served to the States and TO the people That
the Federal Government. conceived, fashioned
and created in and Ly delegated powers alone,
should remain entirely within the sphere ofitS
political action. as prescribed by the Constitu-
tion oftbe United States. Is as TitaIly essential
to the preservation Of our governmental system
as that the States should refrain from affernpt-
ing reclamation OF those popefs deleRated
and surrendered by the adoption OF thdtf1FtFu-
ment. Upon this fundamental principle Of 10,
cal self-gOTeTnment rests the entire fabric OF
American fuEtitutiOnt. ncedegtroyed, ,WhethGF
through the violence of civil commofion, or,
possibly, the yet more dangerous. though IN.
siduOus eucTOachments Of legislative aud judi-
cial Implications. and free government upon
this continent win cease 70 be- as gurelV a.
ambition ts Still aggressive; as surely as the
history OF recorded time presents no democFatic
or republican form of government that; has
survived the fnTnsioDB of single, central law
mfrnarw F9..N. IL.