Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-20
COKE'S SPEECH.
What the Senator Said to the Demo-
Gratis Of Tarrant County in His
Speech at Fort Worth,
A Review OF Democracy, Past and
Present--Its History the History
OF the Nation.
Tho Relations OF the Party 60 the Laboring
Man--No Need for an Independ-
emit Party In Texas.

The following is a full report Of Sena-
tor Coke's Fort Worth speech;
FELLOW CITIZENS; l am here in
obedience to the request OF the executive
committee of the Democratic party OF
Tarrant county, TO address you on the
political issues.of the day. In every free
government, political parties are neces-
sary consequence OF that free thought and
free speech without which free govern
ment cannot exist. When the great
German emperor, Kaiser william, first
assembled the throne as the successor of
his brother, he took in his hands the
crown and placed 1t upon his head,
saying. I" take this crown by the gift
and grace OF God" In these words, be
epitomized the theory of kingly govern
ment, which claims TO rule by divine
right, is paternal in its character, and re-
| CARDS the people as incapable Of self
government. When the president of the
United States and the other executive,
legislative and judicial officers Of this
government assume their offices, they
take an oath TO support, preserve and
obey the constitution OF the United States.
The constitution Of the United States is
the product of the representatives Of the
people in convention assembled, defining
and outlining by the authority and In
the name of the people, the character OF
the government and
THE LIMITS or IT'S POWER.
M. de Toqueville, great French
political philosopher, in his work OF
Democracy in America, well said tina
when the war of independence
was terminated ana the founds.
tons Of the new government were tC
be laid down, the nation was divided be
tween two opinions, the two opinions which
are as old as the world, and which are
perpetually to be met with under different
forms and various names in all free
communities, the one tending to linn,
and the other to extend indefinitely the
power OF the people," This fundamen.
tai division upon opposing lines of politi
cal thought, commencing with the forma-
tlon OF our constitution, has come dowI
regularly to our time in the creed and
tenets of the political parties which have
existed in this country. In the origin o.
these political formations, there wer'
two great minds, one representing eact
OF these great ideas-Thomas Jefferson
with unbounded confidence in the capaci
ty Of the people for self-government, al
ardent believer in the right of local self
government by the people, and con
sciencious and absorbing aversion to an,
fear of a strong centralized government
aud Alexander Hamilton, who honestl.
! distrusted the capacity Of the people T.
) govern themselves and possessed an un
: bounded admiration for the leading
features of the British government, an
I who especially was opposed to locs
a government in the states except by tn
3 permission and under the supervise
. and control Of strong central govern
G ment, of which Il strong central executiy
should be
THE LEADING FEATURE.
The history Of those times shows ths
Mr.. Hamilton, during the session OF tn
s convention which framed our constitu
9 ton, handed to Mr.. Madison the plan {
0 constitution peferred by himself, /
which the following article and sectio
occurred: "Article VIII. Section
The governor or president of each stat
. shall be appointed under the authority {
3 the United States, and shall have rigt
t to negative all laws about TO be passe
Q In the state OF which he shall be governc
I, or president, subject to such qualitlc;
~ biOus anu 40 NhC lSttoARbhhN
y the United States shall prescribe"
In the speech of Mr.. Hamilton, n
ported by Mr.. Madison and handed dow
to us in the Madison papers, part {
II which have before me, find the follow
G ing significant expressions Speaking {
y the states ne says: at they were extil
e guished, he was persuaded that gre,
Z economy might be obtained by suhstitI
a ting the general government, He dl
o not mean, however, to shock the publ
!. opinion by proposing such measure
y On the other hand, he saw no o'hC
necessity for declining it, They are M
necessary for any of the great purpose
of commerce, revenue or agriculture.
"a And again, In the same speech he said
d 'In his private opinion he had no scrupl
ls In declaring, supported, as he was by th
y opinion of so many OF the wise and goot
4 that the British government was the bel
II in the world, and that he doubted muc
y whether anything short OF 1t would do
" America" Again read from the san
speech: GAS to the executive, 1t SCENE
3 3 TO be admitted that no good one could
y established on republican principles. Wa
not this giving up the merits OF the que
ID ton, for can there be good governmel
a without good ezecutiyeP The Engis
mOuel was the only BoOu OnC vi ehlo ~
- iect." Again he said; "What Is the II
ference from all these observations; Thu
we ought to 60 as Ear in order to sttai
stability and permanency as republics
n principles will admit; let one branch
d the legislature hold their places for lii
e or at least during good behavior; let u
Ie executive also be for life"
d Mr. Hamilton's views did not prevail
the formation of ourconstitution. Wht
the constitution of the United States W.
10 adopted so great was the Jealousy OF u
states OF the right OF local self-gover
" ment that that Instrument would newt
/ have been adopted but for the well know
understanding at the tsme that the K
,e amendments subsequently adopted Won
II be IN a very short time added to the 4
strUmentfor the more perfect security
IN the states and OF the people 10 their r
n served rights aud powers. Notwit
d standing this well known and well pnde
stood history Of the prevailing sentimeI
" in the convention which framed the col
1. stItution, the two opinions alluded TO
Ie NJ. de Toquewlle, the one limiting an
the other extending the powers OF u
"a.