Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-07-18

this government depends upon the
efforts of the Democratic minority in
the Senate. Certain il is, that if this
federal elections bill passes and is put
in operation popular government will
be AT end, and, if actual revolution does
not ensue, We shall be a Republic only
in name.
We have had enough of centraliza-
tion Of power and government, which
is synonymous with oppression of the
people, extravaganza aud corruption
and ruin. The first duty Of the Demo
cratic party is, as it always has been,
70 resist the incroachments of federal
power, and it is now the duty of the
Democrats in the Senate to exhaust all
lawful means To prevent this last and
most infamous scheme of Capitalization.
They are the last barrier in the way TO
its passage.
SAMUEL J. TmDEN, nineteen years
ago, sounded this note of warning in a
speech to the Democratic State Conyen-
tion in New York. In the light Of
presens events his words read like those
Of prophet. lie said:
The Democracy advances to fight
anew the battle against centralism and
corruption to which It was first led by
THoNrA, JEFFERSON In the nation and
/ by GEORGE CLINTON in the State Of
of New York.
The equilibrium Of our whole polit-
zeal system is in danger Of being over
thrown and despotic and corrupt cen
/ traliSm established The whole value
OF the arrangement 10y which our world
is kept in its place in the solar system
is the balance between the opposing
forces. IL would matter little to us
which of these forces should be allowed
10 prevail. II the centrifugal tendency
should dominate, our planet would
shoot madly into the realm of endless
space, far away from the source of heat
and light. until every living thing upon
its surface should perish. If the cen
tripetal tendency should prevail; the
earth would rush with inconceiyable
velocity toward the sun, until it would
be engulfed in the burning mass. So
it is with the adjustment Of powers be
tween the State and Federal govern
mentS; diSunion and Capitalization are
equally fatal to good government. Dis
union would generate centraliSm Of
military despotiSm in the separate
States; centralism attempted on areas
and population So vast would break the
parts asunder, and nm our continent, as
it has filled every other, with rival ma
tions.
'Our wise ancestors devised the only
system possible to avoid these opposite
evils. They formed a Federal govern
ment to manage our foreign relations,
20 maintain peace and unity between
the States, and to administer few eX-
lceptional functions of common Interests;
and they left the great residuary mass
OF governmental powers to the States.
The creed of the Democratic party is
comprised in two ideas; First, to limit
as much as possible of governmental
power, charging always and every
where the domain of individual judg-
mcnt and action; secondly, to throw
back the governmental powers neceS-
sary To be exercised as much as posi-
Ole upon the States and the localities,
approaching in every case the indiyid-
ualS to be affected
These ideas dominate over the Dem
ocratic party. and find it their best rep
resentatiye. The opposite ideas. to
mcddle with everything properly be-
longing to the individual. and to cen
tralize.al governmental powers, express
the tendencies of the Republican party.
Under this inspiration the Federal
government is rapidly Selling upon all
the powers of human society. 1t has
assumed to regulate the suffrage and
threatens To take the control OF all
elections.
IL oppose ccntraliSm because tits in
compatible with civil liberty.
"IoppoSe ceutraliSm because il creates
an irresponsible power and an irreSpon-
Siblc power is always corrupt. gov
eminent ruling all the affairs of indiyid-
uals and localities, from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, from the great lakes to the
Gulf OF Mexico, would be- the most in
competent FOR what it would undertake,
the most oppressive, the most irrcSpon-
siblc and the most corrupt government
Of which history affords any example. '