The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-05-29
POWERFULLY WEAK

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found communication from Hon. JOHN
HENRY SMITH and B. F. CUMMINGS. ESQ.
IN which these gentlemen set forth at some
length the reasons that cause them to be
Republicans. We invite attention to those
reasons.
The great and all-pervading reason is. as
appears from their argument, that they are
unacquainted with the genius of American
institutions, and unaware OF the ele-
mentary facts of constitutional law.
They are neither Democrats nor Repub-
iicans. They repudiate broad principle
common to both the great parties. princi-
pie upon which the very government is
founded. They repudiate both the Demo
cratic and the Republican doctrine, as
at present accepted by both, viz:
mat the federal government cannot
interfere in the affairs Of state so long as
mat state is in actual existence unless re-
quested by the legislature or the governor
OF the state to do SO. There is no disagree
ment between Democrats and Republicans
on THIS point. 1t is simple matter of con-
stl0uuonat law that has not been cues
tloned. The authority we quote on this
question, COOLEY, is strong Republican.
Ihese gentlemen will observe that thew
nave read themselves out of the Repub
ncan, as well as out of the Democratic.
party, by the position they have taken.
but they have done more than that.
Ihey have read themselves completely out
OF American institutions, and are quite
away from the American conception of a
'sC0V1r1manf of fo-
Ihey do not seem to have the American
idea that the government exists for the
people, and not the people for the govern
ment. Rather do they have the mon
archlal idea that the government is the
fountain Of power, the conservator of
liberty, the guarantee of permanent and
lasting freedom.
Ihey speak OF the power of the federal
government as penetrating to every nook
and corner in this broad land, to which anv
citizen may appeal when he has been
wronged and the state does not afford what
ne judges (perhaps rightly to be sufficient
protection. Not only is such Supremacy
ridiculous thing impossible under our form
Oh government, but it is unthinkable as a
part OF our scheme of government by the
people. 1t signifies despotism more ter
ride then any that at present exists in any
CIVILIZED or semi-civilized country. The
conception is in itself revolving Better, |
thousand times better. that occasional |
wrongs should be found without an ade-
quate remedy than that any central power. !
when once installed, should have the au- |
thorlty to espouse the cause of any faction |
IN a state and to determine absolutely what |
should or should not be left to the state or |
to the people. Not only was the popular
vote, the freedom of person and of the |
press, OF religion, and the autonomy of the |
states intended to prevent and make i'm
possible the very kind Of government |
(despohsm) OF which these gentlemen |
write, but the whole system of checks and I
balances In our system of government, and !
the right OF the people to assemble, to keep |
and bear arms, were patiently and patriot
lcally devised to put forever beyond the
possibilities, 1t was hoped, such an exer
else of power by the federal government as
these gentlemen suggest. Personal liberty
and individual sovereignty express the
ideas of government by the
people.
We cannot, properly speaking, argue
much with these gentlemen. The test of
right and truth must be the final feeling OF
that each individual possesses
for himself; and these gentlemen have the
idea Of government. To COM
Dat that idea has been a labor of genera
ions.
In FENELoN's "Telemaque," ULYSSES
,ries to convince one of his crew, who has
been changed into hog by CIRCE, that it
s shameful for man to be a pig. but
success. There is a point where
argument il impossible. Unless we change
'ur primal idea that the people are the
ource OF power, or unless these gentlemen
,hange their fundamental notion that the
government is, neither will make much
on the other; and history shows
hat these ideas are changed slowly.
But not the least astonishing of the
propositions assumed by these gentlemen
8, that II the federal government should
Interfere with the operation of the local
IL would necessarily do SC in
he cause OF right and justice. They do
lot recollsct that, as rule, whenever such
has occurred, it has occurred
wrongly or in the wrong place. The notion
hat distant power will, on an average,
i've better satisfaction than local self ,
gives, is curious one These
entlemen ignore the facts of history in
rider to imagine what history has fur +,
ished no examples OLA disinterested few +,
n control Of the government with such
over, who would not abuse their power. =,
ut would use 1t to perpetuate the liberty j.,
f their confding subjects .
In one place the gentlemen make the
rgument that since all Democrats did not
maintain their own principles in defending t
he Mormons, while the Republicans did in I
srassing the latter, therefore they will 90 c
With the Republicans. This is as if Nor y
ION said that since all Mormons do not paw :
thing as they ought, while Liberals not s
My DO not but are not violating their prin- c
lpies In refusing to pay tithing, therefore Z
he Mormon should be Liberal. This is 9
be low farce of augmentation, for the '
hoice was not between two meritorious =
ctions, but between right and a wrong s
ne; and since Democratic principles taught t
ne right and some of them failed to live h
p to it. while Republican principles did r