The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-07-16

institutions is based upon the assump-
ton and admission that the citizen Is
above the government or any creature
or creation of the government; and
that the paramount duty of organized
society lies in elevating, in ennobl1ng
and in exalting the individual citizen,
as the surest means of ~perfecting the
commonwealth and perpetuating the
stability, freedom and prosperity OF
the nation. And, therefore, every
obstacle to the fullest and freest en-
ioyment of his activities, personal
liberty and rights should be abated,
and every encouragement given to his
energies, with the least possible dis
comfort, inconvenience or interference
with business or happiness, so as to
induce and keep in him love of coun
try, as of home, family and friends
a patriotism which is bred ever true
and reliable in the bosom of a con-
tented, prosperous and happy people.
But when laws operate as bonds and
restraints to hold the weak to be
feeced by the strong, under corpora
tions, syndicates, trusts and combina-
tons, chartered or legalized, ostensi-
bly, for the public benefit, but per
verted to robbing the Individual citi-
zen. Such legitimized tyranny,
unless abated, operates to
induce poverty, suffering and
discomfort among the masses,
divide the people into classes, incite
class antagonism, and thereby produce
utter disintegration, which leads to or
ends in communism, socialism or an
archlsm, or all, as they exist in some
countries where aristocracy and plu-
tocracy are held above character, pa
triotism and other sublimest qualities
of truest, genuine manhood.
This latter element of society here
is confronted with gravest response
bilities resting upon them to wrest
from corporations their special and
perverted privileges; to enact addi-
tional protection and safeguards
around the Individual citizen, so as to
shield him from t%yrannous exactions
by monied combinations, and to pre-
serve this nation as it's founders in
tended, a government of the people,
by the people, for the people.
The authority 0fhe people to alter and
amend whatever IS wrong IN conststu-
tonaI or statutory Ian IS full and CON-
plete.
Our Declaration of Independence
a charter older than the Constitution or
any law on our statutes, Federal or
State-proclaimed the citizen endowed
by his Creator with certain inaliena-
BILE rights, and among these are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
\ x That whenever any form of
government becomes destructive to
these ends, it is the right of the peo-
pie to altar or abolish it, and to insti-
tute a new government, laying it's
foundation on such principles and or
ganizing it's powers in such form as
to them shall seem most likely to
effect their safety and happiness"
Here is power as broad as mans
necessities or a nations exigencies or
extremities require. Now, who can
doubt the power of this nation to
change it's Constitution and the States
to change their Constitutions, or both
national and State Legislatures to
alter or abolish any law which in any
way initiates against the principle as
serted in the above abstract? And,
moreover, who is made the judge of
the infraction of that principle and
decide when government becomes
destructive of these" 4. e., to life;
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
the very objects for which govern
ment itself was instituted? The
reader will, if unbiased, have no diff
Guilty in coming to the right conclu-
sion on this momentous subject.
The powers conferred upon incor:
porated and associated capital are
such only as Congress or State Legis-
latures may grant, and these may be
altered or abolished at will, as should
be speedily done in all cases where
they have been abused or used arbi,
trarily. "FEat justlcia, ruat ceZuu.'
R. L. RAGLAND,
Hyco. Va.