The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1886-02-26

Az uae OVulc W w tuet Whoo s1J
Democrat In Congress- rises 10 biz place
and objects to = bill before that body
on the ground that IL is in dsrogaslcn
Of the rights Of the states under the
constitution, that every large fly and
small fry Republican Journal In the
country bursts forth wlsh snesring sx.
prerSions about the "obsolets" doctrine
Of state rights. Our Ootemporary, the
Herald, few days since INDUCED in
this silly stuff because Maxey aud other
Senators. In tho course Of their duties,
saw ct to oppose the Blair eduOation
bill on the ground that il inyadss the
rights Of the states under The Oonstits-
tion. Is II to be accounted unto q man
that he ia ignorant, rebellious, tillsd
with "unyielding prejudices," simply
because he opposes bill because he
believes it 10 not in consonance with
the constitution ? Are these charges to
be brought against the ablest conStitu-
tional lawyers Of the country by those,
whC, BY their own words, seem to have
but little knowledge Of the organic law
Of the landi Will our cotemporary at
tempt 90 maintain the proposition that
"any measure that advances intclligsnos
ia both safe, constitutional and wise T.
We trow not 1t might "Advapce In
tslligsn ce" for Congress TO appropriate
half millions dollars for the support
Of schools In Oregon, to be expended by
agents appointed by the Secretary Of
the Interior, who should be- authorized
to come here and take entire charge and
control of our public school ayatem, and
thus ignore the authority Of tie state
10 the premises, but would such course
be either "constisu,ionAl. safe or wise r.
Our cotemporary says but every man
who has acquired q knowledge Of the
elementary principles Of our govern
ment knows that there Is no warrant
10 the constitution for such an assump-
tion Of power BY Congress. IL is true
that the Blair bill does not involve
such = stretch sf power as suggested
above. On the contrary, il is very in
geniously drawn for the purpose Of
avoiding the objection that Congress
has no jurisdiction in the premises. In
fact this bill leaves it optional With each
state whether it will comply with the
provisions Of the bill and accept the
money appropriated, or whether ii will
choose not TO comply and thus lose the
money appropriated. The motives
which lead Marcy and others to oppose
the bill are csrtAialy disintsrsbtsd ones,
as, If the bill besO@sa Law, the states
whose Senators are now oppoaing the
bill on constitutional grounds will re-
csivs far moro mouey in proportion
than those states whose Senators favor
the bill. Il would be just aS constitu-
tional for Congressl 70 undertake to
prescribe the maximum and minimum
ages within which pupils should he Ad-
mitted 70 tho public Ech0ols Of Oregon,
as it would bO for il to attempt to pre-
scribe the age at which psrson should
arrive before being allowed TO Vots for
President of the United States. Con-
grsss has no more constitutional power
10 act in either case than Great Britain
has. The rights OF the states now are,
the same as .hsr were before the war.sx-
cept as they are limited and modified BY
the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments Of the constitution. We
think the dina has arrived when any
psrson should be allowed to invoke
construction of tie constitution for
which our forefathers fought so vsliant-
ly without being sneered at by such
remarks IS Obsolete stale rights night
mare"