The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-11-25
THE GENERAL WELFARE
CLAUSE OF THE CON-
STITUTION.
BY L FOGY.

1u0 OOuSb1bOGAOA
States is the organic law OF u cOun.
try. Its adoption gave birth TO our
Congrsss as it now exists. In the
fundamental LA of our country is
found the limitations of congressional
power. as we'll as its legislative scope
The fathers said: "The unknown
and unforeseen must be provided for"
In view of this, the trainers OF the
Constitution inserted a general o0egaTe
clause in the Constitution, so that the
unforeseen might be provided for,
by Congress, and yet be in conformity
with the basic law itself.
The Constitution as submitted for
ratification haG in it then, as now,
the general welfare clause, and 1t did
much to make the instrument accep-
table to the people.
Under it our progress has been as
sured and made; without 1t our prog
ress would have been retarded. In
deed the progress of our country has
largely been owing to this wise clause.
No one dare question the right OF
Congress to pass any law that is for
the general welfare of the people, not
prohibited in the Constitution itself.
These reflections are kindly sub.
mitted to those who oppose tie Sub
Treasury bill on the ground Of its IN
constitutionality. The legislative pre-
cedents in favor of the Sub,Treasury
are many.
Under the general welfare clause
we have erected light houses for the
safety of man and property. Private
enterprise could have erected light
houses as well as it erects "Block
Signals " on railroads, for the very
same purposes are in view.
We have established wrecking sta
lions and a life saving service on the
coast, and this is done in the aid OF
commerce and humanity. Railroad
corporations have as a part of their
service the same system, but main
tanned at their own expense. We
have improved harbors for the benefit
of commerce; we have dredged rivers
and creeks in the name of commerce,
often for the benefit of localities AMI
luOlYluuh1SJ We CSGdOl4SAOU PdGO4
ism on a grand scale when we instl-
tuted and developed the postal service
of our country. We grew moro and
more paternal and erected levees for
the benefit of private owners of prop
erty; we have placed u government
in a position that no single word will
describe, in relation to the original
owners of the SOLVE compel them
to be wardS, and hold their 0 in
trust; we treat with them as if they
were residents of a foreign nation,
and yet We have established a paternal
government for them, establishing
schools, etc, and all this without any
expressed or implied authority in the
Constitution.
Paternalism is everywhere present.
We have aided aud encouraged agri,
cultural schools and experiment sta
tions; we have SEN expeditions to the
North Pole to examine the treasures
or p~eculiarieties of territory not our
own; we have viewed with peculiar
pleasure eclipses Of of the sun or the
transit of Venus in other chimes; we
have established a supervision over
compound lard, oleomargarine, whis
key and tobacco; We have, like a rich
parent, donated millions of acres of
our lands to corporations; we have
been so paternally inclined towards
our illegltimate offspring-corpor-
ations-that we have not only given
land and money, but we have actually
Endorsed heir paper in business ven
lures (e. g. the Pacific Railroad); we
have become dealers in stock, buying
cattle and hogs to experiment with
remedies for the cure of disease; we
have gone into the manufacturing
business, and at an expense Of thou
sands of dollars have erected factories
for manufacturing sugar; we have
gone into the wholesale propagation
of fish; we have announced that our
policy was to favor manufacturing,
and yet to give place to spoilsmen we
have erected the largest book and
printing establishment in the world.
All this, and more, under the elastic
general welfare clause.
SNA9oA'o"AOA OAkLSS>iy provinces
that government can alone coin
issue money We have gone into
the banking business and again
formed a semi, partnership with bank.
ers in the currency of our country,
and more still in the last six m onths
the Secretary Of the Treasury has
purchased bonds that were not due,
aud not only has he taken the peoples
money to pay a debt not due, but he
has actually given to the wealthy
owners of our debt one fourth more
than the debt for the priv Iege of
making the payment He has paid a
debt not due and a Is per cent. bonus
to p~lutocracy. But more unjust and
illegal than all the rest, he has paid
interest to bondholders after The deb