The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1886-11-19
"Aax. on ..is.- wnueH.

"ARE' on ''ia.- wmHcn
The AsioriaH ls stlli trying TO prove
that We SHOULD say ifUnItsd States
is'' instead Of using the plural verb
"are.n We showed in our Issue Of
recent date that ~ mere matter OF
grammar the use Of ssare" or "ls''
would depend upon the sense in
which We use the phase. Our cotem.
porary says Il 10 question Of fact
and nos one cf grammer, and right
hero he ssumbles into deep water
without being able 10 swim. The
fact is that la lite q congress Of the
'sunited colonies" by resolution de-
cIared that they, the cclonies. .are. and
OF right ought 70 be, free and inde.
pendent states. Ther&were thirteen
Of them, all now states Ia the union.
At tho close Of the kReyolullary war
England Acknowledged that they the
colonies, were free and independent
states. These colonies wele at the
iIme associated together for mutual
protection. Al the close Of the war
they elected delegates to constItu-
tionai convention 10 frame conslitu.
IIon for the general government Of all.
TIE constitution WINS formed, aud 10
Il was placed provision 70 the effect
that Il should become operative whsn
adopted BY nine states. Each state
was left absolutely free to go Into the
union By adopting the constitution, or
rsmsln out by rejecting It. Every
one at that time held that the people
were the source Of all power, and that
the people Of state 10 adopting the
constitution gave up only such power
rs was delegated by the constitution
10 the general government.
To show tho dense fog In which
Bro. Halleran seems 70 lIvsand move
when contemplating his politics, We
quote: "ThIs nation, known and
hailed ~ the United States, Il CON-
posed OF several distinct states. Each
state Is composed OF several distinct
counties, each county sof several dis.
/ tinct townships, schoeI districts. etc.
Now II the United States care, nthen
Oregon ssare." IiOregon 'sare, "ihen
CIatsop county s'aro," and Umasilla,
where dwellslour states rlghtsyfrlend
ssare. -
Here the Astoriau asserts that {
school district II TO township whai
q state u to the union, that q town.
ship Is TO the county, or a county II
the state, what state Is to the union
This proposition is 80 utterly fallaciou
that we can only express our surpris'
that man, otherwise 50 inteIIigen
and fair as the editor OF the astoria,
| Is. would make 1t. Not an Intelligen
lawyer IN the Republican party, aye
not Republican Judge on the bencl
In any state or the United States bu
would repudlate such groundless, q
well as dangerous, doctrine. Th
state II sovereign as to the exercise Q
all powers not delegated 10 the gen
eral government. A state OF the an
Ion exercises no delegated power. Al
! her powers are original, Inherent
The powers exercised by school dis
trict, township or county are such on
~ as have been delegated 90 them b
the state. These powers are not Ia
herent. A county or district can ex
ercise only such power as Il delegates
to them by the legislature. A stat
can exercise all powers not delegate
to the general government. Thl
Astorsan should remember tbs
the people or the Uaited States hav
/ a written constitution, and that ths
constitution was made to be obeyet
and that the general governmont
as much bound 10 observe its provl
i egnna al any etata. Oar nraaanf Gr
prome Court OF che United State
although almost unamlnouslv Repul
llcan, 10 all their decisions seuchin
this question hava - carefully pr
served the individuality and aut0n'
!, NV Of the states as we do above, an
this devotion to the constitution
rights Of tho states i and will col
tinue to be the great palladium !
American constitutional liberty.