The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-01-30
THE TARIFF.
CentrsIIzInR Effects of the Prote ctIve
Tariff.
SEVENTH ARTICLE.

have been constantly contending
with each other. The first idea is
that the people are a mob, utterly
Unable to govern themselves, and
that it is necessary for the stability
of government that a favored class
De created who shall be reared and
educated to rule. In other words,
that power should be withdrawn from
the many and vested in the few
should be taken from the masses and
given to the classes. This is the idea
expressed by William H. Vanderbilt
when he said few years ago, "1he
people be id" 1t is also the idea
expressed just after the revolution
ary war by Alexander Hamilton. He
was called upon at supper in New
York to respond to the toast, 1.-THE
People. )" He replied: 1.-The people.
Sir, the people is a great beast" Il
quote from the New England Maga-
zine, published at HJston, April 8,
1897, page 1907 This idea is what is
called the rule of the best, and is
based upon the false assumption that
the richest are the best. This is the
idea upon which has been founded
every kingdom, principality. empire
and despotism which has ever impov-
erished and enslaved the people,
either in ancient or modern times.
The other idea is that power is
aggressive, and is always seeking to
aggrandize and perpetuate itself, and
should therefore be held in check
and that while the people do make
mistakes, yet as the evil conse-
quences of these mistakes will fall
upon their own heads, they may be
safely trusted, when they have had
opportunity for investigation and
time for reflection, to correct their
errors. This is the idea expressed
in the Declaration of independence
when it says: Governments derive
their just powers from the consent
of the governed" 1t is upon this
idea that every republican form of
government which ever existed has
been based.
When the convention was in session
which frameC the constitution of the
United States, Mr.. Alexander Ham
ilton, a member of that body, intro
duced a plan of government provid-
ing that the president and United
States senators should be elected for
life; that the president should ap-
point the governors of the states,
and that all state laws should be sub
mitted to the president for his ap-
proVal or veto. Mr.. Jefferson was
then the United States minister in
France. He could not be in the con-
vention. But he wrote back to his
friends to fight the Hamilton plan.
His position was that a president
with such powers as these could and
would name his successor, and would
in all probability make the office
hereditary; that the Hamilton plan
was monarchy in disguise, and was
an insult to the people who had with
so much patriotism and courage
driven the soldiers of king from
our soil.
We all know that the Hamilton
plan was voted down and the Jeffe r
son plan was adopted by the conven
ton. But the fight did not end here.
Mr.. Hamilton and his friends, under
what they called the doctrine of a
liberal construction of the general
welfare clause of the constitution,
went to work to accomplish through
congress what they had failed to
accomplish in the constitutional con-
ventiOn. They secured tle passage
of the act chaFtering the United
States bank, although there is not
line in the constitution authorizing
the United States to charter a bank.
They secu. ed the passage of the alien
and se0ition laws. Under these laws
the president had the power to order
any foreigner out of the country,
without notice or giving him an op-
portunity to be heard. If the for
eigner refused to obey, he would be
arrested and forcibly driven out by
the United States marshaIs or SOL
diers. Any person who should speak
disrespectfully of the president, his
cabineF, or any member of congress,
was guilty of sedition, and upon con-
vlction was fined not more than two
thousand dollars and imprisoned
for not more than two years. This |
was during the administration of
John Adams, the second president of
the United States. An Irishman
named Matthew Lyon, living in Yer
mont, referred to a message of John
as ''the kings speech" He
also said that with the presi lent /
every considera ion of public wei
fare was swallowed up in continual
grasp for power, an unbounded thirst
Tor ridiculous DOmD fOOliah adulafiOn