The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-08-16
Constitutional Changes,

Brother Dunning, of the National
Watchman, Washington, D. c., as a
leader of reform thought has some strange
conflicting notions about reforming
political conditions. In the issue of
August the second, after stating that
there is growing demand among the
people for changes in our national Con-
stitution, embracing all classes from
Supreme judge to the humblest among
the people who are able to think, and
comprehend present conditions, de-
nounces this consensus of opinion enl-
bracing the highest as well as the
humblest class of thinkers as mot only
idle but misleading and will result in no
good to the reform movement" To JUS
tify such denunciation of the best people
i'll the reform movement, the Constitu-
tional provisions provided for changing
that instrument are cited. In connection
with this the fact is stated fifteen amend
ments have been made to that Charter
since it was formed This ought to be
sufficient to satisfy all who contemplate
those necessary changes for which such
a formidable demand is made, of the
comparative ease by which the American
people force constitutional changes when
they get ready for them. The way to
prepare the public mind for those imper-
atively needed changes is to point out the
fact, familiarize the people with them in
place of discouraging them, as is brother
Dunning's habit
The very statement of the difficulties
which stand as a barrier in that Consti-
tuition to the peoples rights and liberty
should inspire them with the determina-
ton to remove them.
This Constitution of the United States
is being rapidly converted into bulwarl<
behind which Plutocrocy is establishing
its power. The Supreme Court has be-
come its plant tool, as has been recently
shown, which readily CONSTITUTES the Con-
stitution to answer the demands of the
money power, riding over Congress with
its decisions, issuing blanket ucases that
inlprison innocent men who become OBJ
noxious to our American aristocracy,
without trial by jury, under judge-made
law. The usurpation of judicial power
under pretended Constitutional authority,
that imprisoned Debs and his companions
was the Bastile system that made France
a hell followed by carnival of blood and
terror.
To take sides virtually with these usurp-
ers of the rights of the people and advise
that the vicious principles of this mis-
called Charter to guard the peoples lib
critics, is little short of treason to their
cause, and is just such advice as would be
likely to delight this oligarchy of corpor-
ate power and wealth. The very idea is
repugnant to the spirit of reform. that a
Charter created century ago, and in an
era which might fifty be termed clark
age" when compared with the present
time, is too sacred to be either changed
or destroyed. The spirit of the age not
only demands radical changes, but the
abolition of this hiding place for the
enemies of liberty. What claim has the
dead on the living that they should lay
down laws and rules for the government
of unborn generations ? The generation
of the living is its own best judge of what
it needs the dead know nothing or ever
could know what the living stand most
i'll need of, or what laws are most bene-
fetal to the public good. Seventy mil
lions of people are eminently better fitted
to govern themselves than the wisest
council picked from population of four
millions and living in an epoch, when
present conditions were not dreamed of.
Every generation should make its own
constitution, that is to say, its own laws,
without let or hindrance from any power
living or dead-much less dead The
only safeguard for the liberty of the
people is the keeping of all power in their
own hands. If the people cannot guard
their political rights when in their own
hands, in whose shall they be safe The
people should have constantly pointed
out to them the dangerous use that is
being made of the Constitution by their
enemies, and the imperative necessity for
changes in the interest of freedom in that
sacred palladium of our liberties (?)"