Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-08-18
At Esopus, N. Y, August 10, 1904

tinue during the ages TO come. for the
| benefit OF those who shall succeed us. We
must ever be on our guard against the
danger of usurpation of that authority
which resides in the whole peyPfs'
whether the usurpation be by osdcials
representing one of the three ifeat de-
partments of government, OF By body
of men acting without commission
from the people.
| Impatient of the restraints OF law.
as we'll as of its delays, is becoining
more and more manifest from day 70
day. Within the past few years mahy
| instances have been brought to our at
tention, where In different parts Of our
beloved country supposed criminals
have been seized and punished by a
mob, notwithstanding the fact that the
constitution OF each state guarantees
to every person within its jurisdiction
that his life, his liberty or his prop.
erty shall not be taken from him with.
! out due process of law.
In a struggle between employers and
employees, dynamite is said to have
been used by the latter, resulting In
the loss of life and the destruction of
property. The perpetrators Of this of
fense against the laws of God and man,
and all others engaged in the con
spiracy with them, should, after due
trial and conviction, have had meted
out to them the most rigorous punish
ment known to the law. This crime
added perhaps to others, led to the
formation Of committee of citizens
that, with the support Of the military
authority, deports from the state
without trial, persons suspected OF be
longing to the organization of which
the perpetrators Of the dynamite out
RACES were supposed to be members
In both cases the reign of law gave
way to the reign of force. These
Illustrations present some evidence oi
the failure of government to protect
the citizen and his property, which not
only justified the action of your CON
vention in this regard. but made it Its
duty to call attention to the fact that
constitutional guarantees are violated
whenever any citizen is denied the
right to labor, to acquire and to enjoy
property, or to reside where his inter
ests or inclination may determine; and
the fulfillment of the assurance to re
buke and punish all denials Of these
rights, whether brought about by indi
viduals or government agencies, should
be enforced by every official and sup
ported by every citizen, The essence
of good government lies In strict OBJ
servance OF constitutional limitations
enforcement of law and order and
rugged opposition to all encroachment
upon the sovereignty of the people.
The foregoing suggestions but EN-
phasize the distinction which exists
between our own AID many other
forms of government. 1t has been vel
said, in substance, that there are but
two powers in government. one the
power of the sword, sustained by the
hand that wields it, and the other the
power OF the law, sustained by an en-
lightened public sentiment. The dif
ference in these powers is the differ
ence between republic-such as ours
based on law and a written constitu
ton, supported by intelligence. virtue
and patriotism-and monarchy-sus
tanned by force exerted by an individ
ual, uncontrolled by laws other thar
those made or sanctioned by him; one
represents constitutionalism, the Other
imperialism.
!, The present tariff law is unjust In
its operation, excessive in many of Its
rates and so framed in particular in
stances as to exact inordinate profits
from the people. So we'll understood
has this view become that many prom
inent members Of the republican party
and at least two OF its state eonven
tons, Rave dared to voice the genera
sentiment on that subject That party
seems, however, to be collectively able
to harmonic only upon a plank that
admits that revision may from tims
to time be necessary, but 1t Is sc
phrased that it Is expected to be salts
factory to those in favor OF an increase
of duty. to those who favor reduction
thereof, and to those opposed to any
change whatever.
Judged by the record of performance
rather than that of promise, on the
part of that party in the past. it would
seem as IL the outcome. in the event ol
its success, would be to crafty the lat
ter class. With absolute control oi
both the legislative and executive de
partments OF the government since
March 4. 1897. there has been neither
reduction nor an attempt at reduction
in tariff duties. 1t Is not unreasonable
that future congress of that party
will not undertake a revision OF the
tariff downward In the event that II
shall receive an endorsement of its pasi
course on that subject by the people
II is fact and should be frankly con
ceded that should our party be success
full in the coming contest we cannot
hope to secure majority in the sen
ate during the next four years, and
hence We shall be unable to secure any
modification IN tho tariff save that tc
which the republican majority in the
senate may consent While, therefore
we are unable to give assurances OF
relief to the people from such excessive
duties as burden them, it is due tc
them that we should state our posi-
tion 10 be in favor OF q reasonable re
duetion Of the tarif: that we believe
that 1t is demanded by the best inter
ests OF both manufacturer and con.
sumner, and that q wise and benefcen,
revision OF the tariff can be accom-