West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-09-05

sh"'f ~ 'he t-rcsiucnt Incomes n
Dominant Forcc-Tbere Il No occa-
sion For nn Elastic Interpretation
OF the Constitution-TimeIy Action
Needed to Avert a Crisis.
Stretching the constitution aud de-
riding the Declaration of independence
are now the settled policy OF the leaders
OF the Republican party. The scheme
OF imperialism evolved by them could
not be carried through without doing
30. The old Hamiltonian policy that
was killed by Jefferson never dared TO
again show its head until President
Mckinley was elected. Many Repub-
licans who revere the memory of their
greatest apostle. Lincoln, are sad at
heart as they sec this new gospel Of
greed practiced In place OF the equal
rights to all, which is now Il discarded
theory of their party. and. as the Wash
lngton Times says. 1T ia impossible to
avoid the conclusion that the great
body OF Republicans think more of
their party ana its ephemeral plans
and purposes than they do of the or
ganic law OF the land. Ii may bo said
nay, IL Is said-that there Is partisan
FEELING on both sides. This doubtless
Is true. Many Democrats who know
nothing OF the fundamental PRINCIPLES
involved oppose the Administrations
policy In a strictly party spirit. still.
the fact remains that i'm their present
Interpretation Of the constitution the
Democratic press ana party leaders
have been entirely consistent. They
take the same position now that the
party has always taken, and, what IL
even more important at this juncturc
the Democracy of today takes the ideu.
tcal view Of the great constitutional
question now before the country that
the Republicans themselves always
took until IL became necessary for them
either 10 change or TO condemn their
own administration.
"The present attitude OF the Repnb-
lican party Is not only absolutely new
In our political history. hut It is an attl.
tude thnt is full OF danger TO the re-.
public. If the constitution can be
strained or stretched I'm one particular
so IL can be In any other There can
he no exceptions. All OF II Is abso
iutely binding or none OF IL Is. Every
branch Of the government Is controlled
and limited by IT or no branch is. The
question now before the country Is not
one Of strict or liberal Interpretation
or the constitution. The opponents of
the administrations policy are not I'm.
voking the rule OF strict or narrow In.
depreciation. They cOncede to the fed.
eral government every power that is
lifhnts It
implied from what is 50 granted. But
they object to any branch of the gov
ernment exercising power anywhere
outside and independent Of the great
charter from which every yestlge Of
federal authority IS derived
THE doctrine that congress may gov
ern the new possessions without regard
TO the constitution is fraught with in
finite danger. III we should continue
10 expand, the time might easily come
when congress, or perhaps the presi-
dent alone, would be governing more
people outside OF the constitution than
live under IT. In such case the presl-
dent would he the dominant force. and
the danger of lodging such power In
the hands OF an ambitious man should
be clear 20 the most ordinary intellect
lt is not going too far to say that il
might arm him with the means OF sub
yertlng free government even within
the limits OF the present states lie
could, at all events, make n strong ef-
fort In that direction, for his power In
the outlying territories would enable
him 20 command great resources in
men and money. True, the intelligent
ana patriotic spirit OF the American
people might reassert Itself I'm time to
save the republic, but how much better
1t Is TO apply every safeguard in time
and thus prevent approach OF an actual
crisis
perhaps the strongest argument
against this new doctrine Is that
there Is nothing whatever In the
present situation which gives even n
colorable excuse for n departure from
not only the time honored traditions OF
the republic. but from the plain letter
and spirit Of the constitution as we'll.
Men talk as II the country were men
need by some grave danger from which
Il could only be saved by giving the con
stitution an elastic Interpretation. and
Investing the president and congress
with imperial powers. when I'm truth
and fact II IS the creation OF these i'm
pCrial powers that constitutes the only
real danger I'm sight"