The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-07-10


i Ii was one of your own strong men OF
faDktou who, when the State League
was organized at Sioux Falls on the 5tll
of last May, moved that men and
women alike be eligible to membership,
and it was unanimously agreed to.
That was craftsmanship. Dakota be-
longs to her men and women. Re-
sronslbility rests upon all. The ladies
OF Yankton had marked weight in the
constitutional convention last Septem-
ber. No petition relating to any mat
ter received greater consideration than
theirs relating to suffrage Ii they will
at this seat OF refinement and culture
participate i'm the Statehood work, the
example will be Of great value in saw
ing the Sioux Falls constitution with
its provisions for the women of Dakota.
! 1t is your Dakota. Will you stand by
her in her struggle?
THE NEXT DUTY.
Permit me now to add something as
a citizen and not relating to the League
or its province. AS citizens we must
look about us to see what we can do to
preserve what has been accomplished
and secure admission. take it that
we must agree that to sit down pas
siyely and do nothing is suicide; that
the day will never come when we can
safely be quiet and wait for Justice.
The birth OF q State means labor.
WHAT CAN WE NOW DO?
Coming events cast their shadows
before" The tendency now in the
three departments of the government
Of the United States is gradually to
destroy the constitution of the United
States. Whether, if so, when this
tendency will be arrested no one knows.
! The tendency to Capitalization of power
| in the federal government and conse-
quent absorption Of the rights of the
States and of the people is SO patent a
fact, that, if it is not, it ought to be
universally recognized The question
of the ability of the American people
permanently to maintain a republic is
not yet determined, but if we think a
republic is worth maintaining it is
worth while to watch with care the ap-
proach of danger.
CEETRALIZATION~
A prominent characteristic of Amer
lean political life has been a tendency
towards Capitalization.
In l643 four colonies formed a scheme
of union.
In l754 seven.
In 1866 Eine.
In l774 twelve.
In I775 thirteen.
In 1871 thirteen established the con-
federation of the United States.
In 17SS these thirteen States estab-
lished a union of the people of these
States under the tederalconstitution.
In 1ssl--ls65 twenty-five States in a
terrific struggle crushed the idea of
dissolving the union and made clear
the meaning of the first seven words Of
the federal constitution, I'VE the
people Of the United States"
The ablest opponent of the constitu-
ton was Patrick Henry. His main OBJ
lection was that it was scheme for a
consolidated government. what
right had the convention to say We
the people instead of We the States, :"
was his warning cry. The same objec-
ton was made in nearly every State
convention.
U. S. SUPREME COURT DRIFTING AWAY.
Without reviewing the history of the
past twenty-five years, in which we
have lived and with which we are all
familiar, permit me to inyite attention
to a single illustration of the drift of
eventsl.as indicated by the decision of
the United States Supreme Court-that
last defender of our political rights-in
the case of Juillard VS.. Greeman, de-
cided March 5, 1884. In this legal
tender case that court, after seventeen
years of vibration of thought, finally
surrenders its last effort to support the
constitution as the charter which
grants To the federal government all
! its power, and declares that the right
to make United States notes legal
tender for all debts, public and private,
no matter when contracted, in peace or
i'm war. is one of the powers of Con.
gress, and failing satisfactorily in its
search through the constitution to find
a basis upon which a logical mind can
rest such a decision among the powers
enumerated I'm the constitution, the
court cuts loose and intimates that the
United States has this power by virtue
Of its sovereignty as nation. Judge
Gray so argues, and Justice Field
alone dissenting, warns the court and
the people that such reasoning is the
death blow to the constitution.
10 you wonder that George Bancroft
cries out against this wounding of the
constitution i'm the house of its guard
iansY
Are not you LAWYERS who have always
taught and been taught that the federal
government is one Of delegated powers;
that it has only those powers which
have been expressly or 10y necessary
implication conferred by the constitu-
tion, and that all political power not
thus conferred is retained by the States
or the people-are not you at all moved
at the progress Of usurpation?
If the continual tendency in every
department Of political life is to hold
all the power ever acquired and to
reach continually by insensible grada-
tions for more, and even the Supreme
Court is yielding to this tendency, is il
remarkable .hat the claims Of Dakota
y "a Gtatahaod ara dalihnrately iunared