The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-01-12
OFFICE SEEKERS.
JUDGE BLANOIN HAS CONSIDERABLE TO
SAY ABOUT THEM

1oasb Oehovihcy anu tue DemOcrhJlc
Party"
Judge E. ]. Blandin, OF Cleveland, was
the last speaker called at the jackson Day
banquet at Alliance, Monday evening, and
he livened the crowd up perceptibly. The
following is the full text Of his address.
"All government is an expensive evil
made necessary by the vices and selfish
ness Of the people.
II the principles Of pure morality were
never infringed, II they were instinctively
obeyed by all, there would be no need of
government, and the Heaven OF the reli9-
ionists would no longer be imaginary in
the sky, but would be real upon earth.
IL we could estimate the amount OF an
nual taxes, national, state and local,
needed and paid to support the govern,
ments, and could realize how many wants
they would supply and how many poor
they would relieve, we might see the
magnitude OF the evil Of government
which our follies oblige us TO maintain.
Let US not be too much startled by the
statement that Government is an evil.
II is true, although government is neces-
sary. 1t is necessary evil. Courts are
an evil because they cost vast sums to
maintain them which II would be bles-
sing to save. But II Is better to be at the
expense of maintaining courts to settle
disputes In an orderly and peaceful wey,
rather than TO let pillage, fraud and MUIR
der go on or TO leave each to settle by
his own force the rights which he has
declared for himself to be his rights. The
courts are an institution agreed upon to
settle what are, aud what are not, rights
in disputed cases, and to enforce them
when so declared by the power nd force
OF oil and the expense OF supporting the
courts Is the necessary evil incident to
the recurrence OF disputes and wrongs
among the people, II the people would
never do the wrong, and always avoid the
disputes, the evil Of maintaining courts,
as part Of the government, would be no
longer necessary.
This conception that government is
called into being solely because there are
evils In the world to be restrained and
corrected, leads to the correct conception
OF what government ought to be, and the
just limitations upon its power.
This is not the time or place to trace the
rise and growth during the middle ages of
the absurd superstition of the divine right
OF Kings,a and that some were born saddIed
and bridled to be ridden by another class
which was born booted and spurred to
ride. Suffice II to say that that doctrine
was abolished, for us, when jefferson re-
corded in the Declaration of Independ,
ence, that "all men are created equal"
and that governments "derive all their
just powers from the consent of the gov
erned." or this declaration, Mr.. Lincoln
said in 1859, "All honor to jefferson; to
the man who In the concrete struggle of
single people for national independence
had the forecast, courage and capacity to
introduce into n merely revolutionary
document on abstract truth applicable
alike to allmen and all time, and so
| to embalm 1t there, that today and in all
| coming days it should bea rebuke and
| stumbling block to the very harbiugers of
| reappearipg tyranny and oppression"
1t was fundamental truth, enunciated
| by the father OF Am erican democracy as
the corner stone of its creed, with which
Mr.. Lincoln was heartily in accord.
II government was necessary, though
| an evil, the government was from the
| people as source Of all its powers, il was
| for their use and benefit, and should be
| built and administered with as little bur-
| den upon the people as was consistent
with control of the vices and selflshness
| which made it necessary.
The powers are delegated by all, and
| are to be exercised for all, and not for
| some. Those who exercise these powers
I are but the temporary servants of all the
| people, and what they dois done in the
| name and by the authority of the people,
| instead of in their own name and by their
own authority.
Under this Democratic conception ofthe
/ nature Of government, its first tenet
| would be that there could be no privileged
classes, and hence arose what we recog-
| nize as n maxim of Democratic faith,
| equal rights for all, and special privi-
l leges for none.n
From this fundamental tenet of the
strict equality among oil citizens would
| flow a number of corollaries; that the bur.
| dens imposed by the expenses of the
| government should be equally and i'm
4
enacted not necessary for tho execution
of the delegated powers, and the proper
administration Of the law; that no force
should be used except such as was re-
| quired to compel general obedience to
the laws and that every citizen and every
section should receive and enjoy equal
1 protection.
Such government could offer to none
any other bribe than that OF good govern
ment, of security to his rights, and light
tax as an equal exaction to defray the cos
| of This security. 1t would guarantee an ex.
actitude of account and carelessness of
expenditure in exact proportion to its
belief in the equality of the citizen.
Such ID the spirit OF Democracy as con.
ceive 1t to be. What OF the Democratic
party?
Founded as IL was upon correct con
ception Of the functions and spirit of free
government, it became at once the party
of the people and served them long and
we'll. In an evil hour it was led asIray to
the federation, if not the support, of a
system OF African slavery in direct con.
tradiction TO it's faith and tenets, and
was rebuked and fell from power until
that scourge was destroyed In the terrible
shock of civil war.
1t has been at the cradle and the grave
of every political party that has come anC
| gone, and though chastened severely fol
its error in the past, 1t has seemed TO bs
the enduring exponent of the hope of this
people, and clinging to its faith il has a
last come back to its old time place OF
| n In " IN ha faff fn