St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-04
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
The First Century of Our Consti-
tutional Existence Closes With
the Present Congress.

tutional Existence Closes With
the Present Congress.
The Congress of the United States:
AS you assemble fol the discharge of the
duties you have assumed as the repre-
sentatives of free and generous people,
your meeting is marked by an interest
ing and impressive incident. With the
expiration of the present session
of the congress the first century
of YOUR constitutional existence as
a nation will be completed. Our
survival for 100 years is not sufficient
to assure us that we no longer have
dangers to fear in the maintenance, with
all its promised blessings, of q govern
ment founded upon the freedom of the
people. The time rather admonishes us
to sOberly inquire whether in the past
we have always kept in the course OF
safety or whether we have before way
plain and clear which leads to happi-
ness, to perpetuity. When the expert
ment of our government was under
taken the chart adopted for our
guidance was the constitution, and de-
parture from the lines there laid down
is failure. 1t is only by strict adher-
ence to the direction they indicate. and
by restraint within the limitations they
fixed, that we can furnish proof to the
world of the fitness Of the Ameri-
can people for Self-gOyernment.
The equal and exact justice of which
we boast as the underlying principle
Of our institutions should not be con-
fined to the relations Of our citizens to
each other. The government itself is
under bond to the American people that
in the exercise of it's functions and
powers it will deal with the body of our
citizens in manner scrupulouSly hon
est and fair ana absolutely just. 1t has
agreed that American citizenship shall
be the only credential necessary to
Justify the claim of equality before the
law. and that no condition in life shall
give rise to discrimination in the treat
ment of the apostle by the government.
The citizen of our republic in its early
day rigidly insisted upon full compli-
| ance with the letter of this bond, and
saw stretching out before him a clear
field for individual endeavor. His
tribute to the support of his govern
| ment was measured by the costs of its
| economical maintenance, and he was
secure in the enjoyment of the remain
| ing recompense Of his steady and con-
tented toll In these days the frugality
| of the people was stamped upon their
government, and was enforced by the
| free, thoughtful and intelligent suf-
frage of the citizens. Combinations,
monopolies and aggregations of capital
were avoided or sternly regulated and
restrained. The pomp and glitter of
! governments less free offered no temp
tation and presented no delusion to the
plain people who, side by side in
friendly competition, wrought for the
ennoblement and dignity of man for the
solution of the problem OF free govern
| ment and for the achievement OF the
grand destiny awaiting the land which
God has given them. A century has
passed; our cities are the abiding places
| of wealth and luxury; our manufact-
cries yield fortunes never dreamed Of
by the fathers OF our republic; our bust
ness men are madly striving in the race
for riches, and immense aggregations of
capital outrun the Imagination in the
magnitude of their undertakings.