Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-29

Secretary of State, Thomas +. l}ayard, has
been sent to the Ledgcy in compliance with
its editors request for it. The subject, the
matter and the treatment If it are all of
such Importance as to cause it to be re-
ceived with the most respectful attention;
to these is to be added the weight of its
eminent authors character and ability
I'd. Ledyer.
WILMINGTON, DEL, Dec. 21.-To the
Editor Of The Public Ledger' MY DEAR SIR
Complying with your request that should
state more fully than has been reported in
the public press the point Of my remarks
at the dinner of the Sons OF the Revolution
last Monday evening, ] will repeat, SO far
ms may, from memory and sCant notes.
The principle for which the founders of
our government commended was that all
the powers OF government were created by
law, and that all grants to the crown were
made out of the money of the people
through their representatives and were
grants, not royal rights. Following this
principle, our fathers, in framing this
government, denied all individual or class
ownership Of any public power, ana they
saw clearly that whenever a public power
can be converted from public to private
use, passing thus under private control,
the principle of liberty was endangered
and therefore that no private claim to
exercise public power in its own behalf
can be permitted without corruption neces-
sarily accompanying it, and peril to the
republic.
Traced to its origin, the real cause of the
CONFUSION witnessed to-day in our sister
republic of France will be found TO exist
IN violation OF this principle, in which.
TO sustain private enterprise Of great
magnitude Cthe canal of de lessers Mt
Panama), the legislative power Of the re-
public has been used at the diCtatiou or
W.NzNrg 1...st
IL is an object lesson, full of instruction,
and most distressing to the friends Of
popular self-government.
Even in finding a remedy and seeking to
visit with punishment the individual legs-
lators and their confederates i'll crime we
see consolidation of legislative and Judi
ciaa powers destructive of justice and per-
sonal liberty.
II is sickening to see how deeply the be-
trayal OF public powers into private hands
has permeated French society, until the
entire framework is racked with its results
But, while we are shocked with such
condition of things in France, may we not
anxiously turn our eyes 10 what Is going
on in our own country?-wherc q financial
danger threatens our whole people, i'm
measurably greater than even the cnur-
nous pecnniary losses of the Panama
canal.
Have not our own public laws been SO
subjected to private control and for private
interests that we are threatened to-day
with a loss of that standard of value upon
the strict retention of which depends the
just performance of every contract, great
and small, public and private, throughout
this broad land?
Have not our coinage laws-oIr laws Of
legal tender-our whole system of finance
been surrendered in tile eXigcucles If
parties 10 the control Of class of our
n trt tt11tN Ntsln
walton Of one of the earth's metals for
their private emolument and have not Tho
public powers Of this government brnn
lent to bolster UP The price uf silver
bullion, just as the French legislature at
tempted to prevent the collapse Of an I'M
practicable feat of cngaceringg
The danger 10 the people Of lhe t'uitrl
States is more deadly than tile mere lo,s N
q sum of money, however great. for n
departure from stable standard of value
and the adoption OF d variable and auctu-
ating medium OF contract and exchange Is
filled with disasters which cannot Inc
measured either N their extent OF the
period OF suffering they would entail.
ne proposed Tree coinage Of silver is
nothing but proposition to use public
laws to further private profits. THU ha.
gradually, but all too frequently, bcpn Al.
lowed under the forms of our tayin,,
power, but never before has ID been pit-
companied 50 closely by results sodanger-
Gus TO the best interests OF all CLASSES of
society.
Better for the people to buy the mines
and pay more than their value to tho pri.
yate owners than 10 permit disloratiotl Of
the standard and measure Of every con.
tract, from The daily wage Of the laborcr
10 Inc greatest corporate Or state loan.
Therefore, il understand Ihr Grant
principle upon which our fathers placed
their hope TO establish Justice and Sccnrl
the blessings Of liberty Tor tAenseIycs aud
Their postenty, it was by placing the gratt
and essential powers Of government over
men high out Of the reach au,l BcyUiyl tl,n
control OF private greed
And this principle is fatally invaded by
such claim IS is now st III by those IN.
terested n the mining and production Vi
silver bullion. Very truly yours,
e. HhIArp,
a Fire Brisadc'> Quick Service,