The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-08-18

each of the several states, but the
states are by the fourteenth amendment
to the constitution of the United States
forbidden to deprive any person of any
one of them without due process of law.
Occasionally, by reason of unneces-
sary or impatient agitation for reforms,
or because the limitations placed upon
the departments of government by the
constitution are disregarded by officials
desiring to accomplish that which to
them seems good, whether the power
exists in them or not, it becomes desir-
able to call attention to the fact that
the people, in whom all power resides,
have seen fit, through the medium of
the constitution, to limit the govern
mental powers conferred and to say to
departments created by it: "Thus far
shalt thou go and no farther" To se-
cure the ends sought the people have
by the constitution separated and dis
tributed among the three departments
of goyernment-the executive, legisla-
tive and judicial-certain powers, and
it is the duty of those administering
each department so to act as to pre-
serve, rather than to destroy, the
potency of the coordinate branches of
the government, and thus secure the ex-
ercise of all the powers conferred by
the people.
Thomas Jefferson, in letter to Will
lam G. Jarvis, touching the perpectutity
of our institutions, written many years
after he had retired to private life, said:
"If the three powers of our government
maintain their mutual independence of
each other, it may last long, but not SO
if either can assume the authority of
the other.
Itmust be confessed that in the course
of our history executives have employ
ed powers not belonging to them;
statutes have been passed that were
expressly forbidden by the constitution
and statutes have been set aside as
unconstitutional when it was difficult
to point out the provisions said to be
offended against in their enactment; all
this has been done with good purpose,
no doubt, but in disregard, nevertheless
of the fact that ours is government Of
laws, not Of men, deriving it's "just
powers from the consent of the govern
ed.r II we would have our government
continue 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
people, whether the usurpation be by
officials representing one of the three
great departments of government or by
body of men acting without commits
sion from the people.
Impatience Of the restraints of law, as
well as Of it's delays, is becoming more
and more manifest from day to day.
Within the past few years many in
stances have been brought to our atten-
tion, where in different parts of our be-
loved country supposed criminals have
been seized and punished by mob, not
withstanding the fact that the consti-
tuition Of each state guarantees to every
person within it's jurisdiction that his
life, his liberty or his property shall not
be taken from him without due process
of law.
In 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 prop
erty. The perpetrators of this ofense
against the laws of God and man and all
others engaged in the conspiracy with
them, should, after due trial and convic-
tion, have had meted out to them the
most rigorous punishment known to law,
This crime, added perhaps to others, led
to the formation of committee of citi-
zens that, with the support of the mill
tary authority, deports from the state
without trial, persons suspected Of be-
longing to the organization Of which the
perpetrators of the dynamite outrages
We're supposed to be members. In both
cases the reign of law gave way to the
reign for force. These illustrations pre-
sent some evidence of the failure of the
government to protect the citizen and
his property, which not only justified
the action of your convention in this re-
gard, but made it it's duty to call atten
tion to the fact that constitutional guar
antees are violated whenever any citi
zen is denied the right to labor, to &C
quire and enjoy property, and to reside
where his interests or inclination may
determines; and the fulfillment of the
assurance to rebuke and punish al
denials Of these rights, whether brough1