Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1888-11-22

/ risdiction.
SECTION .. Congress shall enforce this ar
ticle by all needful legislation.
In submitting this favorable report up
on the afores said joint resolution it is pro
per to say that there are members of the
committee who concur in the report rec
ommending the submission of the propos-
{ ed amendment To the States who do not,
hy such action, indicate their approval of
the adoption of the amendment as part
4 of .hc constitution nor that they would
I themselves advocate its ratification by the
4 legislatures of the States: but In defer
ence to the immense mass of petitions for
this amendment of the organic law, com
ing from the people in all parts of the
country. and believing that an opportuni-
" should be given to them to be heard up
on the merits of their cause in the forum
of the States. where alone ii can be heard
and decided, the majority Of the committee
would deem refusal to submit the pro
posed amendment to the States for con
sidrrat,on analogous to the denial of the
right of party to be heard In court upon
a question of private right The method
provided in the Constitution for its own
peaceful amendment would be destroyed
by failure to submit the proposition for
amendment in cases of grave moment in
titudes of the people, for where the RENE
dy sought is admitted to be without the
jurisdiction of the fundamental law, the
petition is really addressed to the only tri
hunal which can enlarge that jurisdiction,
that is to say, to the States themselves
Should, then, Congress in such case refuse
to submit the proposal 70 the States, such
refusal would constitute substantial de-
NAL Of the right of petition itself.
The changes in the National Cou>titu-
tinn made Indispensable by the develop
mcut Of the nation can only be peacefully
accomplished by judiciouS and liberal ex-
crcise Of the power OF Congress 10 pro
pose amendments to the States upon the
petition of those who desire to hc heard
in the great court Of tn" people eNcrci~-
in. their sovereignty through the States
a. in the formation of the Constitution.
II i well known that hut for the belief
IN the conventions Of the STATE, that the
opportunity to amend the Constitution
would be most literally afforded by Con
grrS> in accor,iancc with tthc forms pro-
Eidcd in that instrument, the original lati-
lcailon never would have been obtained.
Some Of the States ratified only because
II vas firmly believed that, whatever might
be the opinions OF Congress upon the
notifications desired hy those Who con
ii lrr,d the INSTRUMENT proposed ipr rati-
fIcaiiou A. fatally defective without them.
the suggested amendments would hc >rlh-
miti,d to the SUBSEQUENT action OF the
states almost as a matter uf cours,
While the committee wouh bv no
means justify the submission N tri'ing nr
unrallrd-for propositions for the Con~id-
Grafton uf the States Vet ih"y frmly be-
li.yr That thr pcrp,iuity ana prar. of IN,
country under the forms OF constitutional
Government ,l,lnsnd that tEcr, u, ~ cap-
tinti> or arhitrar, denial Of the ri.ht of ne
tii!uu for thu. amendment or tbr fuuda.
mental law through The, form, of Conrr,~-
~inual submission ID the tribunal or the
people IN the states,
The agitation for national legislation
for the cxtirpation of the traffic in alcohol
ic poison made and sold ~ b.. used a. a
beverage viii never cra>p ID disturb and
finally DESTROY great political parties until
thrs submit the qur>tIon nf th,. cnlaryt.-
m,ui Of national constitutional iuri,,lir-
tion 80 a. to incillc control ~ III ,ul,-
iect.
" hcn rhi, proposed amendment i ~ub-
miircd "a the action nf ,ht. state the sub
irtt viii PAS in IL. irupnytaut features
from th, national arena 10 that Of the .py-
eral states until The. fat.. of thr prupos,d
Amendment j. decided When decided. If
adversely Ia the ratification the sui,i,,.t
viii be eliminated from national politics.
at least for many wears
IT on the other hand the proposed
amendment should be ratified and b.cnni.
a part of the national law. the chief curse
Of the world would he summoned to the
block Of national instice and dic ~ thr
hand If the only power which can Weld
an AZ big and sharp enough ID out Of ite
HYDRA head
Then we should have peace.
But the agitation for the destruction Of
th, iiauor traffic cannot cra.. until th-
evils Mhlch il iuhict, upnu mankind ar,.
removed or the human race i, DESTROYED
Iti> useless To cry peace peace. When
there j. no Ipt.ace. Iii, time 10 face the
Subject. Evasion ha, become almost lni-
possible. and the effort requires an acti,i.
u which /, too exhaustive for its long
continuance.
Judging from the petitions which have
been presented TO Congress during the
last few wear, many OF which arr reprt-
sentative Of great bodies and communities
whose individual signatures have not been
obtained. il can hardly be doubted that at
least ten millions of the American people
ar, ,l,.irnu, Of national legislation for th,.
destruction of poisonous, that i, to ,av, Of
alcoholic drinks
These people represent a power Of
thought and a moral force far greater than
their mere numbers. Whoever expects To
withstand The. shock Of their charge viii
We, regret that il, Irresistible. power was
not ~ra>onably realized
The,, petition, for the opportunity to
amend the. National Constitution must be
heard and will be heard Those who viii
ouio,. Them in the STATE, will vet demand
that they Shall be heard in the. States upnn
th. Dronu.itinu of a prohjhitnry amend
rn,nt of The National Constitution
To DENY this i. To subvert the r,publi-
can form of government, ana the h0nora-
hle nnnonept. of ,h, measure will not al
ways refuse 10 its friends that hearing IN
court which j. the sacred right of every
American and esp.cjaIly in a matter of %
great national concern.
II i claimed by the advocate. Of this
amendment that the lquor traffic is aunt
of evil which subneror. the whole nation
and that there can be no complcte and Ger
tainly no permanent elevation of any part
above this ''>ea of trouble. which Is not
the result OF hitting force exerted con
tlnuou>ly by the nation in its organic ca
pacity everywhere throughout the whole
country, cooperating with and supple
menting, and, when necessary to accom-
pli>h the end, overruling and snbordinat-
ing the action of the State.
Al the present time the police power IN