Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1901-06-20
SOOTHING SYRUP.


O. written constitution can be DESTROYED
without danger. This argument is o!
such a remarkable character that il de-
serves to be pasted in every American
scrap book. On this point Justice
Brown said:
Large powers must necessarily be
Entrusted to congress in dealing with
these problems, and we are bound to
assume that they will be ~judicially ex-
ercised. That these powers may be
abused is possible. But the anne may
be said OF its powers under the consti-
tuition as well as outside of 1t. Human
wisdom has never devised a form CT
government so perfect that it may not
be perverted to bad purposes. 1t in
never conclusive to argue against the
possession Of certain powers from pos
sible abuses Of them. 1t is safe to say
that if congress should venture upon
legislation manifestly dictated by self
ish interests it would receive quick re-
Duke at the hands of the people"
Having been dispossessed of the adj
vantages of a written constitution we
have the right to hope that the men
whom we elect to Office will not abuse
the extraordinary power conferred up
on them by the United States supreme
court.
1t is an amazing bit of logic for a
dignified justice of the highest court in
this land to contend that a fear that
congress might abuse the unlimited
power given it by the supreme court
should be quieted by the reflection that
"the same may be said of its powers
under the constitution as well as out
side of it."
Justice Brown says that human wis
dom has never devised a form of gov
eminent so perfect that it may not
be perverted to bad purposes" True,
indeed, and because the statesmen Of
this country realized that fact, having
had it burned into them by the hot iron
of experience, they provided limita-
tions upon the authority and power Of
their public servants. They never
dreamed of giving unlimited authority
to their public officials; and when they
devised this government and improved
it by placing certain powers with the
states, when they denied certain pow
ers to the states and gave federal au-
thorities certain powers specifically set
forth in a written constitution, resting
the whole framework upon a founda-
ton of justice, liberty and equality to
all men and to all sections of this
country, they devised the best form Of
government yet conceived, and their
handiwork was never so much endang-
cred as it was by the opinion delivered
by Mr.. Justice Brown.
A SUBLIME REINSURANCE.
In his effort to further quiet those
who apprehended danger by reason of
the unlimited power bestowed by the
supreme court on the federal authori-
ties, Justice Brown said:
Grave approximations of danger are
felt by many eminent men-a fear lest
an unrestrained possession of power
on the part Of congress may lead to
unjust and oppressive legislation, in
which the natural rights Of territories
or their inhabitants may be ~engulfed,
find no justification in the action Of
| congress in the past century, nor in
the conduct of the British parliament
toward it's outlying possessions since
the American revolution"
This is sublime reinsurance: Those
who fear that an "unrestrained posses
sitQIl of power OF the part Of congress
maxi lead to unjust and oppressive leg
islaRion" in which the natural rights
of lmen may be engulfed have only to
look at the action of congress during
thefpast century.
But if this is not sufficient Mr.. JUS
tice Brown bids them look at the "con-
duct CT the British parliament toward
it's outlying possessions since the Am
erican revolution"
To what q glorious fold for iOCnnp-
ton this justice of the supreme court
has invited the American people!
Under this opinion we are about to
embark on Great Britain's colonial
policy and to reassure ourselves, to
quiet our conscience, we have but to
look at the history of Great Britain to-
ward its outlying possessions since
the American revolution"
An inspiring spectacle, indeed!
We may look at South Africa where
Great Britain's "unrestrained posses
sion of power has destroyed two
the soil with the blood of patriots;
we may look at India whose people
have been dying by starvation for
years-at India where on several occa-
sions the bounty and generosity of the
AI1GIlCdu pSOplo nave DS0u HSC0SSdIy
in order to save human beings, living
under the sovereignty of Great Britain,
from death by starvation.
We may look at Ireland, whose pop
ulation today is 1000, 900 less than it
was in 1871; at Ireland whose people
have been defrauded of their natural
rights; at Ireland whose people have
been denied the highest aspirations
and the purest ambitions; at Ireland
whose people have been burdened with
unjust laws, with outrageous taxes,
with infamous DEGREES; at Ireland
whose people have fed from British
sovereignty OF died with broken hearts
and famished bodies. Wherever you
go, whether you find the Irishman at
home or abroad, you will find a hater
of British sovereignty and a living wit
ness to the fact that British rule over
the peoples who are denied equal par
ticipation in British government has
been unjust to the people governed
and discreditable to the governing
power.