Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-10-26

toned, is left by our laws with no other
power TO compel belief than the pre-
sentation of her own Heaven-stamped
credentials. Owen declaims against
a monopoly of tie marriage state,
and brands it as an inyention of prizes.
craft, TO cheat men out of pleasure
The Agraran pleads Natures primi-
tive, equal grant of the goods of this
life, to all her children, and calls for an
abrogatlon of our paper titles, and
new distribution of property. read,
year or two since, the proposition of a
socialist, who, to prevent the evils of
an overburtbened population, proposed
that poor parents should kill all their
children over three. And though our
laws as they now stand, would infljct
capital punishment upon the man who
dared carry this diaboiical proposal
into practice, Yet the constitution allows
the free use OF the press TO the socialist
to bring about such change 10 them
as would sanction the wholesal infantl-
eide of Pharaoh an1 Helod He who
violates existing law should be dealt
with as a crime in him to use the free
dom of speech or the press, to effect
repeal of such law however vital it may
be. Why has England limited, and
our constitution allowed such latitude
to the expression of free opinion? Why
has it secured even to bad men the
! exercise of power apparently so
dangerous? Why did the trainers leave
that charter itself, and all our institu-
lions, as the pelican leaves her eggs in
the desert, unprotected from the lions
whelps that pass by it. The simple
reason is they framed government
for the good of man and they knew
that man would defend it, Who can,
by the use of tongue or pen. render a
government odious to the people, whose
very end is the peoples welfare? Even
calumnly and detraction will render
such a government more beloved, as it
induces closer scrutiny into the equity
of its principles. A government like
that of England that pulls the garments
off one end of society, that the other
may be clothed in ''fine
linen" that taxes even its subjects,
windows, and will not admit the light
of Heaven duty free; that robs the
farmer of every tenth potato to Ifeed a
heartless priesthood; to allow free dis
cussion in such a government, would
end in anarchy and revolution. The
people would trample such a govern
ment, as the japanese do the cross,
underfoot, and grind it to powder. In
leaving our constitution, laws, and
institutions exposed to the ordeal of
free discussion, the founders of our
government exercised subliDle faith
in mans capacity to govern himself;
they believed that a majority would
ultimately arrive at a correct decision
on all subjects that might be submitted
to them; they believed that truth would
overcome error on ali subjects in fair
and open conflict. He who affirms that
it is dangerous to discuss this or that
topic before the august jury of the
American people betrays his want of
confidence, either in their integrity or
capabiltty to decide rightly. Such
man only lacks the power to install
himself the censor Of the people
thoughts aud the keeper of their souls.
TO be a Christian requires a faith in
God; to be republican requires faith
in man; faith in the act that truth and
Justice ultimately sway the opinions of
The majority. Such man and no other,
can trust every question to the de,i-
sion Of the people. lie alone is Re-
publican. He is willing that the body
guards of punishment and penal laws
with which despotism surrounds itself.
should be dismissed, and the Genius Of
Liberty shouldtrust herself, unprotected.
to the good will and intelligence of the
people j. T. Mills