Willmar tribune., 1900-05-09
PERI. I shall not refer to them. Ny
purpose is simply to see how he stood.
on the question which confronts us.

SSSA SAA~A4As-E[
purpose is simply to see how he stood.
on the question which confronts us.
His heart made, his brain shaped,
and his hand wrote the Declaration of
Independence. pronounced by all the
statesmen Of the earth as the greatest
charter Of human rights ever given to
men. For one hundred and twenty
five years it was held sacred as Holy
Writ, and the only discordant sounds
heard today come from few sharks
and their pocket politicians. This i'm
mortal document has thrown its light
around the earth. it has lifted the
hopes of all people, and it will illu-
mine the skies of all the centuries.
We get here the great principle that
all men are born equal, and that gov
ernments derive their just powers
from the consent Of the people. No
government by brute force, and no
taxation without representation. Ev-
cry breath he drew was protest
against militarism and arbitrary gov
ernment. When the constitution was
framed he was abroad, but expressed
alarm over the manner Of creating the
federal judiciary. Here was a co-or-
dinate branch OF the government that
was neither republican nor democratic,
but was aristocratic and monarchical
In character, practically responsible to
no one and holding office for life. OF
these he wrote: 1T has long been my
opinion and have never shrunk from
Its expression that the germ of disso-
luton of our federal government is in
the constitution Of the federal judi
ciary. an irresponsible body working
like gravity by day and by night, gain
Ing little today and a little tomorrow
and advancing its noiseless step like
thief over the field of jurisdiction
until all shall be usurped from the
states and the government Of all be-
come consolidated into one. To this
am opposed because such a
government will become as venal and
oppressive as the government from
which we separated" In 1900 again
he wrote to a friend: "You seem to
consider the Judges as the ultimate
arbiters OF all constitutional questions.
A very dangerous doctrine indeed, and
one which would place US under the
despotism of an oligarchy. Our judges
are as honest as other men, and not
more so. They have with others the
same passions for party, for power,
and the privilege of their corps, and
their power Is the more dangerous as
they are in Office for life and not re-
sponsible as the other functionaries
are to the elective control. The con-
stitution has created no such tribu-
nal, knowing that to whatever hands
confided with the corruptions of time
and OF party. its members would be-
same despots. The constitution has
more wisely made all the departments
coordinate and co-sovereign within
themselves. In 1889 he wrote to Mr..
Labu Arnold: I'VE all know that per-
manent judges acquire an esprit de
corps, that they are liable to be tempt
cd by bribery. that they are misled by
favor, by relationship, by a spirit Of
party, by devotion to the executive
or legislative power. Juries have been
the firmest bulwark of English liberty.
Were I called on to decide whether the
people had best be omitted in the legis-
lative or judiciary department I would
say it Is better to leave them out Of the
Legislative"
The Que.tion Of Finance.
When Hamilton made his famous
report on finance. he submitted copy
to Jefferson and in referring to that
part relating to the use of the two
metals he said: "To annul the use of
either of the metals as money is 10
abridge the quantity of the circuia:-
ing medium and is liable to all the OBJ
jecttons which arise from a COM
parison Of the benefits of full
with the evils of scanty circulation"
In answer to this Jefferson wrote to
Hamilton: Il concur with you that
the unit must stand on both metals"
On the subject of a bank currency,
he wrote to Adams in 1914: II have
ever been an enemy of banks, not Of
those dlscounting for cash, but Of those
folsting their own paper into circu]a-
tion. My zeal against those institu-
tions was so warm and open at the
establishment Of the bank Of the Unit
ed States, that I was derided as a
maniac by the tribe of bank managers
who were seeking to h}ch from the
public their swindling and barren
gains. The evils they have engender-
ed are now upon us, and the question
is how are we to get out of them"
In his day private toll roads existed
In all parts Of the country. He
urged that the government should
build public roads and other improve
ments, recommending even an amend
ment to the constitution If that should
be necessary for this purpose. Pr;vil-
ege and monopoly were the horror of
his soul-he wanted the people to have
everything In their own hands. As
president he consummated the Louis
lana purchase, which opened up navi-
gaticn with the Gulf and gave us the
great territory to the northwest of tue
Mississippi. There is much history
connected with the event that we can
not go into here. The underlying mo-
tive at first was not territory, but the
free navigation OF great river. He
believed in growth. He thought that
we should have Florida, and we knov
that he wanted Cuba to sometime be a