Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-10-11


government. There are both State and Fed
eral sovereignty; and under the Constitu-
ton one is just as perfect and absolute as
the other Now sovereignty means suprem-
acy. There is nothing over or above it. The
sovereign power is the highest power; 1t Is
supreme. The Federal government is SOW
ereign, with respect to its granted powers;
the states are sovereign with respect to all
other powers. Neither can lawfully or safely
invade the other. To impugn is to put slight
and indignfty upon the sovereignty assafled.
To openly invade is to attack the Constitu-
ton of the country and menace the integrity
of our governmental institutions. The form
of the government established by the Con-
StftutIon ought not to be the subject OF con-
lecture or discussion. There is, indeed, no
just reason why 1t should be. If the plain
terms of the Constitution do not themselves
instantly dissipate all doubt, then the oft
repeated decisions of the Supreme Court OF
the United States interpreting the Constitu-
ton should put the matter beyond the do
main of legitimate dtsputation. half CEN
fury before the civil war that great trtbunal
used this expressive language:
''The powers of the General government
and those of the states, although both exist
and are exercised within the same terrific
rial limits, are none the less exercised by
separate ana ulStlHCt SOSeTelSutitS
Nearly decade after the war that same
high court used this unmistakable Ian
guage:
"The General government and the State,
althou gh within the same territorial limits,
are separate and distinct sovereignties, act
ing separately and Independently of each
other within their respective spheres. The
former In its appropriate sphere is supreme;
but the states, within the limits of their
powers not granted, or, in the language OF
the Tenth amendment, reserved are as
Independent of the Federal Government as
that Government, in its sphere, is indie
pendent of the States.''
Later still the same court gave the same
construction to the Constitution in the fol-
lowing language:
'sThe government of the United States is
one of delegated powers alone. Its author
ity is defined and limited by the Constitu-
ton. All powers not granted to 1t by that
instrument are reserved to the states or the
people,
These judicial expressions, which might
be multiplied Indefinitely, are the interpre-
tation, the definition, of our Constitution
made by the highest judicial authority in the
Republic. These ought to silence discussion
and put the question at rest. Unhappfly
they have not had that effect. The mon
archical notions of the Federalists were set
aside at the beginning, and the Democratic
idea was triumphant. But Federalism was
only defeated; unfortunately 1t was not ex-
tirpated. 1t rose almost instantly from the
ashes of its first great defeat to confront its
old and victorious adversary, and ever since
has sought by artifice, by force, by whatever
means 1t could, to warp and twist our gov
ernmental structure into form more con-
sonant with its purposes. 1t has remained
with us living, potential force. 1t has
sought constantly to impress Its autocratic
spirit upon our Constitution. 1t has sought
unremittiHgly to amplify the powers of the
Federal government, and to diminish those
of the states. 1t has striven after new
grants of power, and sought by cunning and
1fcentfous construction to enlarge those al
citizens, for the advance of Federalism
means the more easy promotion of private
or selfish interests: The government at
people, and is less subject to the
straints of public opinion. The stronger
comes; the greater the power conferred
upon it, the more it is tempted to defiance
and aggression. Hence, throughout our
history we have found those who have self
1sh interests to promote anxious to rob the
people of power and bestow it upon great
more easily corrupt or control. All such have
been, and are, the stalwart champions of a
eralism. Sustained and stimulated by these
powerful influences, which were never
waged an 1ncessant and most audacious
warfare upon our democratic institutions,
seeking to dwarf and to break down the
states, which constitute the fortress of pop
ular sovereignty, and to exalt the Federal
establishment into universal supremacy.
Against these onslaughts the Democratic
party has offered its uncom promising re-
StStance. For a century that party has up
held the constitution of the fathers and
a c nrJ1 N Zp6 ant nf ho Taf-
ferSonfan plan OF government thereon es-
tablished.
more arrogant, adroit and successful than
formerly in It's assaults. 1 cannot be un-
mindful OF the fact that Democracy on the
and Democracy losing ground. The old
party still stands forth the battle SCARED
and veteran defender of local sovereign
and the inestimable right of the people to
govern themselves; but am not ObliviOuS
of the truth, which, unhappily, is too appa-
rent, that the party, and the cause it repre-
SentS, have suffered grievOuSly in recent
years: strange things have come to pass
The Democratic faith, the doctrines of
Thomas Jefferson, have been discredited
by some who should have been the first to
betrayed, where gratitude meant fidelity;
who assatled, where duty required defense;
should nave lifted shield. democrats have
been so tossed about in the storm of recent
events that many have become unsettled,
and some have lost their way.
There are men affiliated with the Demo-
cratic party, and vainly imagine themselves
to be Democrats, who are nothing but rant
ing Federalists. Judged by their acts and
utteranceS. they have never known what
Democracy means, or have wholly lost the
tenetS of their faith. / hear of men holding
high place in the counsels of the party pooh
pooling the doctrine OF state sovereignty,
and boldly asserting that all such questions
We're settled thirty years ago by the arbi-
trament of the sword. That assertion 1
most positively deny. There is no truth in
1t. The effect of such statements from high
sources is vicious. They create wrong i'm
pressons; they beget false education; they
undermine and weaken great constitutional
barriers which the well-being of the repub-
lie requires should be strengthened from
day to day. These questions settled by
the war? Why, they were not even
involved in the war. WhoSoever thinks So
or says so, does not understand what he as
sumeS to discuss. He ignores alike the Con-
stitution and the post bellum decisions of
the Supreme Court of the United States He