The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-02
POLITICAL.



! President of the United State, err no
NIL ~ TBr PuIoRY
! l. j. n scrio'Is thing thai a rrcat u.rt,
| which hopes TO ~ocurr a majority of Tn,
votes ia the greatest state Of the Unto,
should put such dec.ara' ION in its plat
form. The propo-itio itself docs not ueet
TO he seriously considered now, but + /.
serious thing that tho Democratic part,
should adop' such proposition The lea.
/ of the offence, involved IN he declaration
! - that II j. uncuu~ i'Wioual |, is plainly
! badly, without room for argument, UNI
constitutional. Mr. HIS parade Of pro
| tended argument IN the neighborhood of IN,
| question, bui not on the quest ion. il m
| 'nsuli {" the Intelligence of the people tn,
| state, ana II" IL too good lawyer not "a
| know It. | LAY that IL ia" least of the Of
| fences because a man has y right to argue
| m unconstitutional post ION To the pcoyrh
who make "InstItuth,n- aHd ask them Il
change the Constitution, hn h." ought te
be frauL. about il aud say that he wants In,
| Constitution changed
The Democratic lead.r -hrink- from tia,
| because the demand for a change of th,
| C"nSi tuition of ia" United States to make
| the proposition of III" coal plank possible
would reveal the greater fault that il seekl
| 20 break down absolutely the line of de,
| narration between Federal and State au,
| thory, and vest in the National Govern,
| menl all those powers over the ordinary az,
fars of life which GUY carefully devised Com
| stituI ioral system has vested in the states
| II ia" principle embodied in this propositior
were adopted the American system Of loca.
~ef-goverument would be al an end and the
| States would become but counties and geo.
| ora al, ..T
| power.
| FOR, II The National Government has power
| 20 enter the state of Pennsylvania and take
the anthracite ccal fields into its possession
and ownership and mine the coal To supply
the wants Of III" people of the United States,
| II can take the b.tumlnou~ coal fields of Ohd
and Illinois, il can take the grain fields OF
the West 10 furnish food and the cotton fields
| OF the South to furnish clothing: it can take
| the railroads and ships that transport the
| necessary supplies, and the mills and fur.
| na"es which TT the raw material for use:
| every requirement Of human life becomes n
| public use OF the United States, and in tha
| presence of that all-pervading and direct re.
| lat ION the distribution of powers between
| national and State governments and the
, sovereign States themselves would disaps
| pear.
| NEGATIOSS OF STATE SELF-GOvFRSMENr
The proposition involves no, merely the
destruction of our political system, but ot
our social system a. well. While the asser.
| ion OF the power negatives the right 81
, States 10 local government, its exercise
| would be rank and extreme socialism.
| Under II paterna government controlling
the business of the country, with its army
of officeholders and its millions of employees.
would take the place of the individual
| enterprise, freedom Of contract, and open
competition, which have made America
great and prosperous.
| DISHONEST
| But have said too much about the merits
of the proposition. The worst thing aboup
it is that it is not honest II negatives the
basic principles of the DemoSratic party. 10
was put into the Democrat L. platform at the
height of the coal strike not because the
Democratic party of the State believed in IL,
but in the expect alton that the strike would
continue and in the hope OF catching votes
by an appeal of passion and prejudice stirred
up by the heat of that great struggle and iv-
the suffering resulting from the want of fuel.
That the government which governs least
governs best that the Federal authority shall
be strict ~ confined within the limits of exc
| '.
ereign local control of the States shall be
maintained inv olable were the fundamental
principles of Jeficrson'o political religion,
and have been the fundamental principles
Of the Democratic party ever since his day
How can We respect the sincerity of the men
who claim TO be disciples of jefferson and
profess the principles 81 that party, and
with such shameless effrontcry ALLURE and
| pIiu for hos k,,,, 4 inn
votes from the passing passion of a dayi
| DEMOCRACY HAS NO PRINCIPLE.
! Unfortunately this not very creditabls
act well Illustrates The fatal weakness Of the
Democratic PARTY. For forty wears il has
had no cohesion except by force Of the desire
To turn the Republican party ont Office.
II has no policy upon which it could agree
| but has been continually Ike Mr. uin.
with his coal plank calling for national
ownership Of the coal fields, aud Mr. Coler,
protesting against national Interference.
II has had mo- principles which it was not
willing 10 throw overheard at a moments
notice ON the chance Of winning an election,
For forty years il Las uniformly taken its
position. rot with reference to what it be-
hcvcd, but with reference % producing Re-
publican failure In lsC. /, declared the
war to bc n failure, because the people
seemed 10 he weary of the long struggle and
there seemed chance tn appeal 60 their
weakness IN 1872 it took Greeley a. lis can
dictate. although hated him and abhorred
his opinions. hccau,c there .o'mcd chance
of dividing Republican voters when tho
Republicans were for sound money. Demos
crats We're for Initiation and for free sil-
yer. because ChCGp money wa an allurng
cry for the ""mag"gue 80 catch the fancy
| or the Grove; whom the suppression Of tho
Philipuin" resurrection hc"amc tirc-omr,
thoy appealed gain tn tn. opposed weak
ness of tho r"oulc ~ they did in 1854 and
demanded Wedding of tho Sovereignty ~
| tho United States 20 ~" forces in arms
against 1t. wl.o," .uuur -~ou th'y them
,elvc lrd oriErally ioiL,d In requiring.
When they did obtain power fun and tu-
controlled. in the ~ccord \ lmui ,tra ION -
NJ. Cleveland, they Wcr" unable go ne IL,
and although when they nominated Mr..
Cleveland they loved Tim for the rrninics
he had made. "A large rHrt Of them have "N"r
since hated him for the good qualities lie