Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-10


The inaugural address OF Gov. Gordon,
which W. publish this morning, will be
read with great interest throughout the
/ State. Those who expected some refer
ence TO the important questions whicn
I were discussed during the campaign for
( the Gu bernatOrial nomination will be dis
appointed. A second IA ught. however,
! will show that there was no need for any
reference to them. Gov. GordOn's views
with regard to them are so well known
that nothing he could say W ould make his
views clearer.
The Governor devotes his whole ad.
dress to the question which has always
/ been the leading issue between the Demo-
cratic and Republican parties. viz: that
the preservation OF liberty depends upon
the preservation by the States of all their
rights, privileges and powers.
The Republican party has ALWAYS be-
Titled the States and msgnified the Gen.
trail government. Its aim appears to be
| to so increase the powers of the central
government that little reliance will be
placed upon the State governments or re-
spect paid to them. There is 10 danger
that anything OF this kind will be done at
| once, but 1t may be done, as the Governor
points out, "by gradual accretioBs to Fed
eral power and imperceptible absorption
! of State functions"
The Democratic party has always con-
| tended that "the surest bulwark against
! anti-republican tendencies is the support
| of the State governments in all their
rights" The Republican party leads
toward despotism aud threatens the de-
| structon OF liberty; the Democratic
party aims to perfect the republic and
promises the preservation OF liberty.
There is no doubt that the growth OF
public sentiment in favor of strong CEN
trail government has been very great with
in the last few years, and nothing has
dene so much to encourage this growth as
the tendency of the people in times OF
misfortune or impending trou BILE to APP
peal to the central government for assist
ance. The general government is asked
for help when section of a State or seve-
raj States has been lad waste by floods or
cyclones or when cities are afflicted BY
great epidemics. Ii Congress had
been in session last Septem Der
it is not improbable that ala for the earth
quake sufferers would have been asked.
The States are not being asked to deal
with the labor troubles, but Congress is
expected to do it, and if serious labor
disturbance occurs in any State the
probabilities are that the government at
Washington will be called upon to quell
it. There are bills now pending to give
the government partial control of all the
great railroads OF the country. and also
to give it the right to interfere, to some
PeXtent, with the educational facilities OF
the different States. The Federal courts
are all the time increasing their jurisdic-
ton, and encroaching on the Jurisdiction
of the State courts.
Under the circumstances il is moi
strange that the sentiment in favor of 8
strong central government should grow
Even those who are firm believers In pre-.
serving the dignity and the rights OF the
states are not unfrequently found, boil
in and out of Congress, advocating meas
ures which tend to lessen tle Importance
of the States and increase that of the gen.
eral government. A temporary advan-
tage for their State or section appears to
them, for the time being, to be of more
importance than the primo pies in which
! they believe.
Gov. Gordon makes an earnest plea in
behalf OF the States. He believes in de.
pending upon them for everything that
properly comes within their jurisdiction,
and in preparing them for discharging all
their duties, in the broadcast and highest
sense, to their citizens. He makes an
earnest appeal to GeOrgians to improve
their educational facilities, develop their
mineral and manufacturing resources
and to give all possible announcement tC
| agriculture. He advises the young m an
of Georgia TO prepare themselves to wir
honor in advancing the material interests
OF their State and in adding new gloriet
| to it's already splendid history.