The herald., 1897-07-04

Genet, the minister to this country from
the French republic, through his appeal
from the government to the people OF
the United States, tended strongly to
the development of sentiment favor
able to construction of the constitu-
tion giving large powers to the gov
eminent, and to the enactment of very
stringent laws. In this respect the gov
ernment proceeded to an extreme and
for a time it was supported by public
sentiment. The friends of Capitalization
and of strong government did not
know where to stop, and hence there
arose a party which held to a stricter
construction of the constitution and
which believed there should be more
confidence in the ability of the people
to govern themselves and to protect free
institutions against tyranny on the one
hand and anarchy on the other.
The supporters of Capitalization were
the aristocrats, or those who wanted
special privileges and who pretended
to doubt the capacity of the masses to
govern the country The sedition law
was comprehensive in it's reach and its
rigorous enforcement had very OBJ
structive effect upon popular action.
The policy and measures of the received
administration had not been combated
and discarded. 1t may be more than
conjectured that the government, in
stead of being by the people, would have
become one by an oligarchy.
In this emergency political Moses
appeared in the person Of Thomas JET
ferson, and through his teachings and
influence the country returned to pol
icy which clipped the wings of central
ization and placed the government on a
basis of rational popular rule. Through
the efforts of Jefferson and his coadju
tors, freedom Of discussion was assured
and danger from popular discomfort re-
moved. Application of his principles in
public affairs took the government out
of the hands of class and made it re-
publican and democratic.
ity to assert itself. The liberal and just
views of Jefferson in time were distorted
and made to subserve the designs Of the
slave oligarchy. Public sentiment grad
ually veered TO the opposite extreme
from Capitalization. The distortion pro-
ceeded 80 far as to place thecountry un-
der a government by the States. This
was done to maintain slavery, and to
make it national it became necessary
to strip the general government of all
power over the subject. The first prac-
tical manifestation of the danger from
the extreme doctrine of states rights
was by the threat of a state to nnllify
law of congress and the attempt to
carry the threat into execution would
have been made but for the heroic Jack
son, another political Moses, who was
raised UP opportunely. The country
Travelled along on this line til the doc
trine of secession of the states as con-
stitutional right was boldly announced,
and its execution as boldly attempted
In this emergency a third Moses ap-
peared in the person of Abraham Lin
coin. War calls forth the exercise of ex-
traordinary powers and the danger from
the extreme theory of states rights and
secession was made apparent by the war
of the rebellion. Public sentiment again
tion. During the struggle the oligarchs
of wealth were not idle; on the contrary
they improved the opportunity to pro-
mote their own interests by securing the
They have succeeded more effectually
than did the slave power The results
are that legislation has been enacted
which confers special privileges upon
classes which have built up an inexorable
money power to the injury of the mass
of the people. A few havs become opu-
lent and the many impoverished and as
consequence hard times and unrest
prevail throughout the land
Relief from the uncomfortable condi-
tion demands the appearance of another
political Moses. Who he shall be remains
to be seen. That one will be forthcoming
cannot be doubted. The people will dis
cover him before the nineteenth century
closes. The country is ripe for one and
when he appearsantagonistic parties will
dissolve and all patriots will rally under
his banner. He must be a man of no
ordinary ability, of the highest charac-
ter, courageous and an undoubted
patriot.
THE LABOR PROBLEM