The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-10-28
GREAT SPEECH
JUDGE TERRELL AT BIAS
TROP ON LEADING
QUESTIONS OF
THE DAY.
THE TARIFF, DANGERS OF CORPOR-
ATE POWER AND CENTRAL
IZATION IN THIS GOV
EMINENT.

My FELLOW CrrIzENs-The pending state can
yass draws TO a close, and here, where in earle
manhood sat as a judge to consTue law nav
now come IN your Invitation 10 discuss the policies
Of government which create. law AS lite-lon!
democrat of the strictest sect esteem IL a priv
lege thus 10 address you, and TO eNpOund, as IN
derstand them, the cardinal doctrines OF demo
cracy.
freuuent recurrence 20 first principles can alone
preserve good government among men, for when
these are disregarded to bow before the prestige
and 81 ,mour of official rank and patronage, seryi
lity takes the place of vigilance, and corruption
begins If, my friends shall express views TO.
night which are not In accord with what is termed
the demands of progress, let my ofense be con
doned when Won discover that those views will help
man % preserve his freedom, II they do not in
crease his wealth. and that they are in strict accord
with the teachings and traditions OF democracy
We stand confronted with problems th,t
threaten and appall u.s. and which now demand
the thoughtful care of the patriot The earthquake
does not more certainly reveal the dangerous ac,
ton of hidden forces, than does the universal
protest of the intelligent minds of America
against the abuse Of federal power and
the march of monopoly tell of the dangers
% civil freedom. Nor IA this all, the teyersh I'M
rest of American labor which is now organizing,
and which sometimes hurries deluded men to acts
of violence and crime, is but fearful signal light
In advance of our marvellous progress, which we
must heed by putting on the brakes and slowing
up before II is too late.
The last national democratic platform declared
as follows:
"Nhile we favor all legislation which will tend
20 the equitable distribution of property, to the
prevention of monopoly and to the enforcement of
individual rights against corporate abuses, We hold
the welfare Of society depends upon a sCrupulOns
regard for the rights OF property a. defined by
law
II can demonstrate to fair-minded men that
every evil which threatens American civilization is
traceable directly to departure from Jcfersonian
democracy, and that by returning 70 and observing
the democratic doctrine that once limited The pow
ers of government, in its dealings with the people,
iuUpuuinu
viii not have been in vain.
The civil war of 1861 left the federal government
in control of men who legislated a, expediency or
necessity seemed to require, and who forgot, or
refused 70 heed, the limitations federal power
which we're written in the constitution.
LIMITATION on POWER.
This lA A government Of limited powers and the
fede m Judiciary was create and invested with the
authority ami duty, among other things, OF pro |
claiming against any infringement on the rights OF
the pe pie and of the states, by The federal govern
ment Time has shown that II Is 4 weak barrier
against legislative and executive usurpatiOn, and
thai il sometimes moves with velvet paws on the
rights of people and states.
Washington and his associates, when they prepared
the constitutions knew well the lessons OF history.
They knew that all republics had gone down
through the ambitions OF men who had been ele-
waited by the people, and who had entrenched them
selves in place by assuming powers never granted |
20 them Hence the careful limitations on the
federal power OF each department, which We find
In the federal constitution,
But there was one cause In that constitution that
aroused the fears Of the colonies when they came
{ rutify IL. II reads thus; "CoHgress shall have
power 20 lay and collect taxes, duties, mpOsts and
eXcises TO pay the debts and provide for the com
mon defense and general welfare of the United
stats Them also, after many express pnwere
were enumerated, II was provided that, Congress
shall have power to make all laws which shall be
necessary and proper for carrying
into execution the foregoing powers"
That general welfare clause was be-
leyed by many too dangerous in Its broad sweep to
remain without some Limitation.
DANGER PREDICTED.
When Virginia was considering whether che
would enter the union, in 1885, James Monroe,
George Mason, Patrick Henry and more than 20
other delegates in the convention protested against
that general welfare clause, and voted against 90
Ing into the union. Mr.. Mason said, In convention,
III wish clause in the constitution with respect to
all powers that are not granted, that they are re
tanned by the states" AIR, Monroe said: "By
this general unqualified power they (congress) may
infringe not only trial by jury, but the liberty of
the press" Patrick Henry said "'rhis govern
ment subjects everything to the northern majority
How can the southern members prevent the adop
ton of the most Oppressive mode of taxation In
the southern states, there Is majority in favor
OF the northern states | dread the gen
6 al welfare clause. dread the operation
OF IL 1.-THE constitution on the middling and lower
classes of people: IL is for them that fear the
adoption of this system. When | thus profess my
SELF an advocate for the liberty of the people,
III,
conscious recttude outw eighs these things with me
sea great dangers In this new government.
After the constitution had been adopted Madison,
Jefferson, Monroe and the democrats of that day,
never rested until they had the tenth amendment
addeu 10 the constitution of the United States, in
order to avert the dangers of that general welfare
clause. |, reads thus "rhe powers not delegated
10 the United States by the constitution, prohib-
tied by IL TO the States are reserved TO the states
and to the people.
that amendment was designed TO be the great {
sheet anchor for the liberties of the states and of
he people against the tendency to Capitalization.
Il was the babe In the manger whilst idOlary was
IN The throne: for IL emphasized the great truth
hat this was a government OF limited powers II nder
which congress could do only such things rs were
necessary and proper to carry ont express powers,
md that all authority not conferred on the gen
,rsl COVE nment by express grant, was reserved To
he states and the people. This government was
lcver designed 20 help one class of people 20 Ob
ain for unes at the expense of another class; but
vas established to promote under express limita.
ions the general welfare, and TO insure domestic
tranquility, now ieOpardzed
THE PARTY OF STRICT CONSTRUCTION. /
/ assert that the national democratic party, .
whose faith is built on that tenth amend. {
nent, has in all our history been true
o the doctrine of strict construction, and say
urther that every evil that now ieopardizes our q
Progress, was the direct result of peryerting the
powers OF government for special classes of men,
lnder republican rule
How grandly those thirteen colonies increased I
n power and expanded in territory, our school {
Joys know. Democracy was for nearly half
century at the helm and while we covered the con-
inent by conquest and treaty, our sails whitened
he seas, and were welcome In every port, while
he words, al am an American Citizen secured I
protection, and were passport around the world.
cgETrALIzIHG POWER.
Our pro gress as a free people Is now in danger !
rom two causes: The Capitalization of political
lower in Washington, and the Capitalization of /
financial power in the hands of favored classes :
)ne has been the direct outgTOwth of the other. a
his Capitalization of financial power was an evil
which the founders of our government tried TO 4
,uard against when they abolished the laws of =
and enailment in all the old states a
nd in many of them adopted the law Of forced a
eirship, which compelled equal distribution of
mans property among his heirs. Il
And, now, my friends IL seems to me that moth I,
ng can be more important TO free citizen than TO
not only the causes which now pro-
oke discomfort among agricultural and laboring
eJple, but TO inquire whether the democratic doc
Inc Is responsible for this unrest, and whether q
ny of the new parties claiming rec ruits should c
AXE its place IL democratic doctrine be correct a
nd u been defed by those selected to make our 4
avs, II Is reason for abandoning the servant but
an furnish no cause for deserving the party
Every thinking man ought 10 understand that G
lis person and property only be safe in a gov %
rnment like ours 80 long as the agents of the d
'eople, who levy taxes, make laws, and create "
rmies, restrained by fixed limits to their au. D
hodty. Those limits are found in written con Il
utution, which every lawmaker must swear TO II
and shaw F.,, .fl..T.. .l.a 4