The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-03
What ID tho 18th Amendment 2-Is
1t Words Without Meaning,
A mere YOI IT Pretoria NIHIL-?
ORR Is II Light ana tilcnnd uopc7.-Bc-
fore tho War aud Sow-.A Confcdcr-
alto Soldier Who Points Out What
Ho Says Is II Needed Rcform--i
Government orAnd For tho People
vi. Political Corruption and Boss-
isru


-" b'ShN SbJSSN VI bNNSldhlS'iN
ia, or should DO, to secure to tho people
life, liberty, h~nppincsa and protection
Of their property. This cur only como
by just and impartial laws, administered
just, able andimpartiul Judges, every
man to have tho same rights before tho
law md before the courts, or, Ms the
French revolution OF 1900 proclaimed,
'liborty, equality, fraternity" Tho
form Of government that does not &C.
curc this must and will be changed.
When tho states Of tho south were
under tho control OF tho slave holders
and tho land owners thoy wore gov
Grned by an enlightened, conservative,
just and humaipthough dcspotic class.
This enlightened class kept public and
private morals in tho ascendant, and
secured to the people lawyers, judges,
legislators and magistrates OF high
character and marked ability and in
tesrity; while tho people Of tho free
states in these particulars had under
gone q married .dccadence in conse-
quence of tho power having passed
from the conservative and moro en-
lishtGncd class In these states. The
people OF tho slave states, from the fact
that tho enlightened and conservative
middle class governed those states, had
attained to u standard in their officials
higher than the%great mother country.
All things in tho south arc now in
process Of rapid change and d%ccadonco
in these particulars from the loss OF
power in this class OF our people. 1t
WIS to sustain them in this power, more
than for any other reason that tho slave
states were so Jealous and tenacious OF
what VIC called state sovereignty. They
were greatly a~pprehCnsivo that by the
impairment OF state sovereignty the
governing class would lose their prero.
gativc and iall under the control OF the
ignorant and vicious, and hence their
stern opposition to any interference by
tho government with their legislation
and the administration Of their laws by
their own courts.
THEIR IDEA OF LIBERTY.
1t these SAINT people ever come to
believe, and the time may not be dis
tant, that their rights and liberty, as l
hero describe them, will have better
security and protection under n central
national government, they will cast
state sovereignty aside as 4 useless
weapon for defensc-a dead power, and
erect on the ruin 4 great national
government. Theywill make the Rome
OF brick Il Romo OF marble. The form
and name with this class OF people is OF
no consequence. Their idea OF liberty
is, just laws well and impartially admin
istored. This and nothing more. The
%unthinking regard liberty us the right
to vote, have their vote counted, &c,
&c, and to elect to office some iavorite
Of q passing hour, generally nominated
by q court house or city ring. This
may be all well enough, but this is not
rational or true liberty.
When the vicious oiiice.scekin5 ele-
mcnt in society take the control in nom
mating judges, magistrates and legisla-
tors true liberty is in imminent danger.
When the quartermasters, commlssa-
ries, suttlors, shirks and traders get con-
troll OF the army, the army is lost. This
is rapidly coming about in tho south.
Honcc The marked decAdcnce in tho
character OF our legislators, judges and
magistrates. The great outcry about
corruption, incompetency, etc, and it is
heard everywhere, is but too well found
cd, and unless things undergo 4 very
great change, the great body OF the pco-
pie, the substantial, honest, middle class
will unite with what We call tho gentry
or upper class and establish 4 govern
ment for their safety and protection.
II state sovereignty will protect what
I have described as true liberty. let lis
have state sovereignty. II atato sover-
eighty fails to do 80, away with it. 1t
is,but a dead power. We must look to
our rights-our treasure, and il agreat
all powerful national government can
alone secure them, VIC viii establish it.
We, the great middle class, are slow to
move. We create and VIC destroy. We
mean to have 4 just and impartial ad.
ministration o! the luw-without dis
tinction OF persons, or political or re-
IlSlOuS oPlliiolis, VI SI4uiCIl VI CIAsS VI
ring. II. appellate or even Il cir
emit courts as now appointed or chosen
by the states tail to give to every man,
be he who he may, the impartial ad.
miniatration OF the law, then let the
states SO amond the constitution OF the
United States rs SO mako IL groat su.
promo court Mt Washington an appellate
court over the supreme courts OF the
states, and, if necessary, let us create Il
special supreme United States court tor
this special purpose.
THE NEED OF IT.
Ibelievo tho fourteenth amendment
gives this power now--lhe power to Sc
cure to every citizen OF The United
States equal justice and impartial jus
tice by the supreme courtsof tho states.
If it does not it is a dead letter. This