El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-20

constitute the ambassadors of their re
| spective states, responsible to the rep
resentatives of the people in the legis
| lature for their appoin tment, and dt
their action. Hence state Legislatures
instruct their senators in congress-, but
request the members of the lower
house who are elected by the people.
A change in the method of selection
would tend to destroy the equili brium
between the states, and the cOuservat-
ism of checks and balances, already too
few in our government. It would con-
stitute long step toward the election
of president by popular vote, regard
less of state lines, and do more to sbol-
ish Mr.. Jefferson's theory of proper
and rightful government than any
proposition yet advanced and agitated.
The democratic party of today, under
the leadership of Mr.. Bryan, favors
the change. The republicans, with al
most entire unanimity, oppose the
change, and the ablest argument yet
offered in opposition is from the pen of
republican. Which party more nearly
conforms to the principles of govern
ment laid down by Mr.. Jefferson?
4. 1.-THE preservation of the gen
eral government in it's whole constitu-
tional vigor a. the sheet-anchor of our
peace at home and safety abroad
When he spoke OF constitutional
vigor he meant the constitution as it
was then and as it now is essentially;
and by s'vigor" he evidently intended
to convey the idea that no department
of the general government should be
emasculated or stripped of any right
or prerogative then existing. The
general government must not only be
preserved, but preserved in It's whole
constitutional vigor, ''as the sheet-an-
Choir of our peace at home and our safe
ty abroad"
The republicans have decided ad-
vantage in the ,''preserving" business,
for talk as we may. it was the republi-
can party which preserved the Union.
and the Southern Democrats who
sought to break it up. Which party
was right and which wrong need not
be discussed here, and each individual
is entitled to retain his own views up
on the question. It is mentioned sim
ply to call attention to o historical fact
about which there can be no contro-
versy, and which demonstrates that In
preserving the general government
paired, the republicans conformed
more nearly to Mr.. Jefferson tenets
of democracy than did the democrats.
AITACh ON JODlClARY.
Perhaps the most important de-
partment of the federal government
is the judiciary. It stands as the i'm
perial arbiter between citizens of
different states, between aliens and
citizens, between states and between
states and foreign states. It is the
and of the rights of citizens there
under. For thirty years the democrats
have denounced the federal courts and
have sought the curtailment of their
powers and jurisd lotion. Every small
politician in the party has decried and
denounced the judges upon the stump
with necessary result of weakening
the public respect for these tribunals.
A session of congress hardly passes
without some move from democratic
sources looking to . ourtailment by
the federal courts. This eliminated
in the Chicago platform of 1896 in .
sweeping party condemnation and de-
mand that the power of federal Judge
to punish for q disobedience of his
DEGREES should be abolished, for that is
the English of the party declaration.
If q Judge is not allowed to punish for
contempt, he must perforce sit as an
impotent thing, incapable of enforcing
respect for his court and bereft of
jurisdictions; for jurisdiction in its
broader Specification means not only
the power to determine controversies
by judgments. but to carry such judg-
ments into effect. If contempts are to
be submitted to juries for determines
ton, the functions of the court are abb
rogated and the court In most instsn-
ces will find itself paralyzed.
But this was not enough. The Chi
cago platform aimed q direct blow at
the eupreme court, and indicated that
If the party was again Entrusted with
power 1t would not hesitate to pack the
hardly be said that this, if successful,
would destroy the court, because it
would degrade it, and no court can
long exist under degradation. Nor
need 1t be said that the republicans op-
pose and will oppose to extremities
any diminution or Impairment of the
powers or dignity of the court. Which
party stands In this regard more near
~ to Mr.. Jefferson, and which party
Is attempting to maintain his doctrine?
5. Mr.. Jefferson also announced as q
cardinal tenet of orthodox democracy,
1.-The honest payment of our debts and
sacred preservation of the public
faith" When he used the term "our
de BITS" he didn't mean simply our pri-
vate or personal debts, but was refer
ring alone to public Indebtedness, to
debts OF the government. He was de-
livering his first inaugural, q great
public occasion, upon which he was
questions relating to gov
ornamental affairs. How stands the
record as to this feature of Jefferson
ianism?
PAYMENT OF DEBTS,
If the Republican party has estab-
lished an enduring reputation for any
one thing, 1t is in meeting government
tai obligations by honest payment
with the best money known to civiliza