Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1904-09-01
BELIEF IN THE LAWS
KEYNOTE OF JUDGE PARKER'S
RECENT SPEECH.
Democratic Presidential Candidate
States His Position in No Uncertain
Terms-Trusts Would Not Be
Shielded Under His Administra-
ton.

That Judge Parker is a great law
yer is certain from his speech of ac-
ceptance. He believes in the law and
the constitution and the full liberty
of the citizen under the law. He be-
lieves in freedom but not license or
laxity. The chief doctrine of govern
ment which the fathers of the repub-
lie laid down and the people ratified,
of free people governing themselves
under orderly liberty by law, is the
keynote of Judge Parker's speech, and
runs all through it. He believes in
that old American principle of the
right of all under the law to life, lib
erty and happiness, and of a strict
construction of the powers granted
to the legislative, judiciary and execu-
tive branches of the government. He
is especially severe upon executive
usurpation, and although he does not
single out any executive as having
exceeded the powers granted, yet he
warns the people that their liberty
and rights may be lost by condoning
the evasion of the law or the consti-
tuition by those in authority. To him
there is no orderly government with
out due process of law for all alike,
be they high, low, rich or poor.
When he comes to treat of the is
sues of the campaign, as laid down in
the platform, he is of the same mind
He believes in enforcing the law
now on the statute books, or the COM
mon law, against the trusts, and evil
IDENTIFY considers it sufficient to pro-
tect the citizen from the pillage of
those gigantic corporations, if strict
ly enforced without fear or favor.
His utterance on the tariff is con-
sentative, and while emphasizing the
existence Of gross injustice in many
of the schedules. he frankly admits
that even with a Democratic presi-
dent and House of Representatives
the Republican majority in the United
States Senate will be an insuperable
barrier to reform. He ventures to
hope that Republicans who believe
in tariff reform will aid the Demo
Gratis and through the force of public
opinion force an unwilling Senate to
accept a reasonable revision of the
most obnoxious schedules in spite of
Tic nOlu ludI nave
so many of the members.
The strongest and most important
part of his speech is the denunciation
of militarism and the plea to his coun-
trymen in behalf of ultimate Philip
pine independence.
He points out that the grave con-
stitutional questions that confront us
and the lapse from American tradi-
lions of free people governing col
onies and subject peoples is foreign
to our form of government. Judge
Parker declares explicitly that if elect
| ed he will not be a candidate for re-
nomination, and his chief reasons for
such a course, that in deciding the
momentous questions that might come
| before him, ''he should be unembar-
raised by any possible thought of the
influence his decision may have upon
anything whatever that may affect
him personally" He concludes by say
| ing:
at is simply my judgment that
the interests of this country arc so
vast and the questions presented are
| frequently of such overpowering mag
nitude to the people that it is indis-
| pensable to the maintenance of a be.
fitting attitude before the people, not
only that the chief magistrate should
be Independent, but that that indie
pendence should be known of all
men,"
Every voter should carefully read
and ponder upon Judge Parker's
speech and his letter of acceptance,
which will more fully aprise his coun,
trymen of his position on great issues
that are to be decided at the election
| in November.