The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-08-07
Does Il Touch Personal Libertyi

producing war.
Does II Touch Personal Libertyf
The cry of imperialism is just now be-
ing raised over the country by men Of
prominence and political influence
against the passage Of bill providing
for the Federal control OF elections.
Such phrases as "usurpation, ""tyranny"
and "trampling upon our liberties"
which had some significance In the
mouths Of Patrick Henry or Samuel
Adams, are now heard on every hand
from men clad in soft raiment, corpora
ton directors and syndicate managers, in.
cumbents OF high Office and men who, Of
all others, should have confidence in the
great federal principle which has been
the secret OF our national greatness.
The fear is being widely expressed that
the general government is encroaching
upon the rights OF home rule. II is ad-
mitted here that there has been con.
slant tendency toward Capitalization
during the entire period Of our history.
The formation of our constitution was
one step. The construction placed upon
it by the successful issue Of the Civil
War was another. The broad assump.
tions of power by the President and
Congress during the war and the strin.
gent hand which the Federal Govern.
ment was obliged to lay upon the munich
pal affairs OF the South in reconstruction
times, familiarized the nation with the
possibility and enlighted them as to the
necessity of such high source Of
authority.
The fact that every one OF these sue.
cessive steps was resisted by the react
ionary party and that each OF them 80
tar has vindicated itself, gives us conf
dence in the principle. Its strongest
opposers give their consent to it when 1t
is presented to them in form that does
not conflict with prejudice or interest.
The objection to the election bill is that
it iniringes upon private rights, that 1t is
revolutionary Yet the indirect and
arbitrary means which the Government
is taking to suppress and destroy the
Louisiana Lottery is step ten fold more
liable to the same charge. The lottery
is not f. aud in the sense that it breaks
its promises. 1t fairly states the condi-
tions to it's patrons, and he that il de-
ceived thereby il not the victim OF
another but of his own folly. It is
an act of personal and private choice
when man decides to rick his against
800, 900 chances. He knows the ratio Of
probabilities as we'll as the man who
turns the wheel. But the indulgence in
such practices is known to be damnably
demoralizing, both to the individual and
community, and we have now safely
reached uch a stage in the development
of the federal principle that the United
States Government feels itself morally
compelled to lay its hand upon this
evil, even though it has, for the present,
to resort to II fiction OF the law to accom-.
plish it.
The President in his special message
to Congress says, ut does not g. em pos
sible that there can be any division oi
sentiment as to the propriety OF closing
the mails against these companies" and
it is to the great credit OF the country
that no protest from any responsible
source has been entered against the
proposed law. Yet the Federal Election
Bill, which merely interferes with q
mans right to defraud and cheat his
neighbor out of the right of suffrage, is
arousing great division Of sentiment. u
The Federal Government then will
take from us this power to risk our
money according to our private choice
It does touch personal liberty and
rightly so. II the range OF Federal Leg
islation may extend SO far as that, then
the supervision of the ballot on which
its own existence depends falls easily
within its right. We are here aiming al
the attacks on the principle of the Lodge
Bill. That it is constitutional can be
proved by another line OF argument
That it is expedient will be discussed al
another time. The assertion that it il
a step toward stronger Capitalization
and toward "the realization of tha,
visionary scheme in which a man'i
breakfast cakes are to be turned accord
ing to government regulations" is no
to our mind an objection. Our presen
contention is that it is right. This may
be dull reading, but it seems to us to b.
logical argument.
~,,v, 49, r~,,,-.