The gazette-news., 1901-05-18
THE FLAG 44ssss CONSTITUTION.


1.-THE flag has outrun the constitution
= with the illegitimate approval of tbs
American peoplei How shall the eonsti-
tuition be enabled to catch upf
All the departments Of government to
eether cannot rightfully stretch the con-
Istit1tion one hairs breadth beyond its
original terms. It Is the proyince Of
government TO enforce the supreme law
Of the land 1t isexclusively the prerog-
ative Of the people to change it
By the terms of the federal compact,
not one foot Of foreign territory could be
Acquired. How, then, shall the eonstitu-
ton follow the flag to the Philippines and
around the globe? Is the President to
be an emperor. and Congress House Of
Lords to do his bidding7 Is reliance
upon the extra-eonstitutional govern
ment of party and the spoils safe reli-
ance for a free people? II the people are
to continue to rule, but one course is
open to the patriot statesman. All de-
partments of State should abide by the
supreme law as enacted, not turn to the
right or the left however great the emer-
geney, and meanwhile hasten the coming
of an organ Of popular government
whereby thepeopleeanl legitimately speak
promptly and efficiently on all occasions.
Such an organ is q permanent eonstitu-
tional convention Of social experts with
defined powers and a referendum, super
added to the federal system:
1t is not suggested that the American
soldier stack arms and desert the field OF
his victories. The American people wish
to justify their staying there forever, and
should have an early opportunity to
CRAFTY their pride of country. It is full
time acampaign opened where there is no
President to be elected and no spoils to
be distributed. Why should not the
South lead, as OF old, and Florida lead
the South, instead Of tagging on behind
smoribund parties Of the spoils that at
best were only provincial, sectional and
iederal and never once national? If De-
mocrscy be true and righttul, forward,
march, into the holy tabernacle of Ma
tional Democracy.
For one hundred years expediency, like
q mighty mountain loaded with sin, has
sat upon the safety-valve of the Federal
Union, eoniuring an explosion, in the
bOileroi the Locomotive of American pro-
gress. In one respect it served a most
excellent purpose. On the one hand it
prevented the pendulum of social change
from swinging at all, and 50 prevented
the possibility of the mob staying the
great, foolish goose of capital, Immersed
in the dream Of self-complacencyO that
lays the golden eggs Of production. On
the other, Il it allowed the plutocracy q
half-monopoly Of the spoils, it prevented
the silly goose, when frightened out of it's
wits, from installing an emperor to save
the golden eggs and, as a disinterested
Judge, decide the ownership OF the oyster
of State by taking it entire unto himself
and giving it's shells to the balance of
mankind as the peoples fair share of the
spoils when administered by the cohesive
power of public plunder reduced to the
science of number one by way of social
climax. But q constitution so weighed
down could not grow, except by usur-
patton, constituting the federal COM
pact out of all semblance to it's original
self, until their own child could not be
recognized by the fathers of the instru-
ment. Then the explosion came. After
being baptized in the fraternal blood Of
q million citizens, the pompous earicature
OF the free-win of the American people
was pinned together by bayOnets, amid
\ the roar of cannon, and ever since has
been worshipped by the thoughtless mul
/ titude, who had not the capacity, thu
heart, the will and the conscience to organ
ize themselves into the holy people o
seH-government for the common good o
lall, after the manner of the Divine HeaC
of univeral liberty, truth and iustic'
shared with mortal. In fine, the presen
constitution is merely a safe bridge t.
something better byconserving the treas
ures Of past accumulation while adding
the lessons Of our own bitter experience
He who rides into heaven on the bacl
of anOther's merits, rides expedienc.
bareback. AsyousOw, so shall you reap
There is no dodging the moral law b,
patent flre-escape, or patent salvation
or hanging up for public edihcation a
opaque lantern alled with universal darE
ness and Labelled with the label, 9TH
Almighty creates and evolutes himse
into something distinct from himself a
q monstrOus oddity, of infinite arbitrar
ness and deception, that he may no
recognize himself, and 50 make God an
the moral law unknowable toeverybod
else.
Had not the church patent of an exp
diencv safefv-valve flied down bY a two