Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1901-02-14
REPUBLICANS READ!
LET THOSE WHO VOTED FOR
LINCOLN STOP AND THINK.
How the Party Now In Power Is Work
ing a Racket I'm Behalf of Tyranny
That the Early Republicans Worked
in Behalf OF Liberty,

In one respect the attitude of the
Republican party relative to the ques-
ton of governing new American terri
tory is the same now as it was in the
early days of the organization. 1t holds
thai the act of annexation does not in
itself extend the constitution over ter
ritory so incorporated into the repub-
lie. In the early days of Republican
isia the question that was involved OF
course was the extension of human
slavery. If the constitution was ear
ried to new territory by the act OF
annexation it became lawful for citi-
Eens OF slave states as well as for citi-
zens OF free states to move their prop
erty thither and take up their resi-
dence. both claiming the protection OF
the supreme law of the land.
Raised by Slavery.
Probably the question never would
have been raised if it had not been for
the Institution of slavery, and it is
practically certain that it would not
have been raised now if it had not
been for the institution of the protec-
tive tariff, but it is worthy of note that
from the foundation of the government
until now, the supreme court speaking
through old federalists, old wings and
old Democrats, has always held that
the constitution follows the flag and
that no specific act of congress is nee
essary to give it full force and effect in
new American possessions.
The question which is before the SUI
preme court at this time is not new,
therefore, in any of its essential as
poets. Nearly every phase of the dis
cussion has been passed upon by the
court on several occasions and always
with the same result. Since the issue
has been raised anew after repeated
adJudications it is apparent that the
controlling spirits in the Republican
party now expect to secure a reversal
by the court of all the decisions that
have been handed down in the past
Party Completely Reverses Itself.
Whether the court shall reverse it
self or not is a matter which we shall
know more about in two or three
months, but that the Republican party
has reversed itself in one important re-
spect is matter which no one will pre-
tend to deny. 1t adheres to the letter
OF its policy, but the spirit of that pol
| Icy has been most radically changed.
The attitude of political parties in
this country relative to important ques-
tions is more often determined by cir
cumstances than it is by principles.
AS matter of principle the slave own
ers clearly had the stronger position,
for slavery was recognized by the con-
stitution, and if that instrument were
to be enforced equitably it was inev-
liable that the property of slave own
ers should receive quite as much con-
sideration as any other description of
property.
In behalf of freedom it became neces-
sary to make strained construction,
just as in behalf of the extreme claims
of notification and secession it became
necessary to make a strained construc-
ton. The early republicans adopted
what lawyers and courts held to be an
untenable position, but it was the only
position which they were able to take
in behalf of human liberty. So long
as the constitution recognized slavery
there was no escape under the consti-
tuition from slavery.
| Avoiding Dilemma.
To avoid this dilemma the early
abolitionists and Republicans set up
the idea that the constitution did not
apply to new territories and that con-
gress was authorized to prohibit sla-
very in them. 1t was possible that con-
gress might be controlled by an eIe-
ment not friendly to the extension of
| Gle ii
for any material change in the con-
stitution at that time.
| The Republican contention, however,
was wholly in behalf of liberty. There
was no assertion of absolute power to
deny liberty to anyone, to levy unjust
taxes, to come to the support of greedy
monopolies or to govern millions of
people without law or limitation. The
policy of the party comprehended but
| single idea. 1t was not SO much an as
sertion of power on the part of con-
gress as it was denial of power on
the part of the constitution.
1t was a plausible and in some as
poets a creditable theory, but it was
not sustained and it soon gave place
in the activities of the party to the Or
ganization of colonization societies and
the purchase and shipment of Sharp's
| rifles.
| Renewal of the Claim.
The renewal of the claim at this
time is quite as much a matter of ex-
pediency as it was in the first place.
Now as then the party is not unfolding
a principle by maintaining that the
constitution does not follow the flag;
1t is attempting to defend a principle
behind that contention.
In the first instance the principle
happened to be closely related to lib
erty. In this instance it happens to be
intimately associated with tyranny and
injustice. Now the assertion is boldly
made that congress is omnipotent and
the constitution impotent. 1t is an il
lustration of the ease with which GER
tain methods of constituting the consti-
tuition and the laws may be used to
suit almost any occasion.
For Liberty Then, for Tyranny Now.
The fact that hostility to slavery ap-
pears to have been all that gave the
Republican contention any standing
~hen it was first proclaimed in behalf
Of liberty is pretty good evidence, en-
'irely aside from the repeated deci-
sions of the court, that it was not we'll
based. Its resurrection now. with no
excuse whatever except the defense of
favored interests which are bent on
| maintaining a monopoly of trade with
our new possessions, shows how radi-
cally the dominant party has changed
in its principles and purposes.
Urging an idea at one time in behalf
of liberty and presenting the same idea
with even greater emphasis later on in
behalf of tyranny is Terry impressive
object lesson as to the deterioration
which time may bring to an American