The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-07-30
THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.

1t appears from communication
published in THE ISLANDER last week
over the signature of Mr.. r. w. Jesper
that in the opinion of that gentleman
the constitution of the United States is
q defective" document, "inadequate,
tnexplicit and powerless for needed
legislation, or to protect the urgent
needs and interests of the mass of the
people" Mr.. Jesper has right to his
opinions and right to express them,
for it is one of the guarantees of the
very constitution that he assails that
there shall be no abridgement of the
freedom of speech, or of the press, in
the United States. And we have a
right to differ from him, as we most
emphatically do, for we have little
patience with any man who seeks to
discredit the greatest document ever
framed in any land or in any age to
Establish justice, insure domestic tram
guilty, provide for the common de-
Tense, promote the general welfare and
secure the blessings of liberty" to all
the people. 1t was framed only eleven
years after the intrepid founders of the
republic had promulgated the immor
tai Declaration of Independence and
only four years after complete indie
pendence of foreign domination had
been achieved. George Washington,
who led the tattered armies of the colo
pies to victory and received the sword
of the naughty Lord CORVALLIS at
Yorktown, presided over the delibera-
tons of the convention, which in
cluded among its member the foremost
statesmen of the western continent,
representing in the highest degree the
conservative intelligence of both the
north and the south. There was no west
then, to knock at the doors of the con-
vention with silver hammers and shout
for debased coinage and wildcat
system of finance. It was a hundred
years before the genus Populist had
made his fantastic entrance into the
political arena, loaded to the muzzle
with ammunition intended to overturn
long established theories of govern.
ment and bring about all unparalleled
era Of reputation and industrial and
financial disaster. A century was yet
70 elapse before the evil eye of Ben
Gilman, of South Carolina, was to be-
come the beacon light of the sunny
south and Herr Altgeld, of Illinois,
was to begin playing the role of chief
end man of the Democratic minstrel
show, keeping time to the tunes played
by Billy Bryan, Of Nebraska, upon
the harp with the silver strings
fEo red flags of anarchy then waved in
the western world and the seeds of so.
ciaiism had taken no root in American
soil. There were some who were not
"a accord with the new constitution and
Who even commended in the convention
fer the assertion of the very same doc
trlnes that led to the desperate attempt
70 disrupt the union three quarters of a
century later, but it is doubtful if there
were any who assailed it upon the
ground that it is inadequate, inexplicit
snd powerless for needed legislation.
etter the fashion of our fellow citizen.
4 he is a citizen, who favors us with his
visws. We understand that he is a
Fopulist. If he isn't we beg his pardon.
If he is it accounts in measure for his
advocacy of the doctrine of paternalism
and for the general character of his
criticisms of the great charter of Amer
lean liberties which the descendants of
she sons and daughters of the revolution
regard with the respect, faith and love
that are akin to veneration. That evils
hsve crept in to the administration of
eur government there is no doubt. That
there are wrongs to be righted there is
no auesiion, but there is neither warrant
nor excuse for the charge that the con-
sntution is responsible for them.
....