The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-23
LOCAL SELF-GOvERNMENT.

The government of the United States,
under the control of the Republican party
is rapidly drifting towards Capitalization.
Indeed, Capitalization is said by Senator
CHANDLER, to be the one essential doctrine
and organic principle of the Republican
party All others, he said, are accidental.
He urges the passage of the LODGE cleo
ton bill as necessary consequence of Re-
publican consistency. Federal control of
elections, schools, railroads, telegraphs.
religion, and even of private opinion, has
been urged by members of that party. The
Republican party has little regard for pri-
vate rights, which it is ever ready to sacrifice
to the supposed welfare of the nation. The
principle of expediency seems to be the con-
trolling idea, aud all rights or
interests supposed to be detri-
mental to the central dominant
power are swept aside on the plea of nee
essity. The nation is looked upon as a
sort of ideal parent that may do anything
it supposes to be in the interest of the
citizens. There is thus no limit to the ac-
tions of the government, except such a
limit as the government sees fit to set to
its own action. AS the government is it
self the fountain of power, there is no pos
sible refuge for citizen who may think he
is uniustiy dealt with, for his interest musu
give way to the supposed general good.
| The Democratic idea is that the govern
ment has certain definite and limited func-
tons beyond which it may not go, no mat
ter what the supposed exigencris of the
case may seem &, require. The greatest
possible freedom of the individual with the
least possible interference on the part
of the government is an idea cherished by
every follower OF JEFFERSON Democrats
believe that the main duty of the govern.
ment is that OF affording protection and
equal justice to the people. Democrats are
suspicious of government control of schools
or railroads, and even look with distrust on
governmental acts of charity. They be
lieve the government should not do more
for one class than for any other class, anC
hence repudiate the doctrine of protection
and other kinds of discrimination On one
question especially the Democrats are very
pronounced, and that is local self-govern
ment. On August Z, before the meeting Of
the National Bar association of Indiana
Justice ELLIOTT, of the Indiana supreme
court, delivered strong address on the
subject, from which we make and commend
the following extract:
If there is a right so old and SO firmly inter
linked with free institutions as to be known O
all men it is the right of local self-government
OF all the rights whichSound place on Ameri
can soil with the coming of Englishmen it ha!
taken the deepest root and borne the richest
| fruit.
Men gathered in a locality lose no rights O
free citizenship; those rights abide with them
in the thronged cities as well as in the quiet
rural homes. The inherent right OF local self
government remains in the citizen wherever ht
may dwell; it does not vanish when cities
! spring into existence. The vital principle can
not be annihilated by legislation, however
much it may be hedged about ty central legis
lative power. 1t is one thing to regulate thu
limit but it is Quite another thing TO destroy
; The right to vote IN local officers is one toe
firmly interlocked with the other great right O