Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-08-19
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON: FRIDAY MORNING. AUG. 49, 1904

tive, legislative and judicial-certain
powers, and it is the duty OF those ad.
ministering each department so to act
as to preserve, rather than to destroy
the potency of the coordinate branches
of the government and thus secure the
exercise of all the powers conferred by
the people.
Thomas Jefferson, in letter to Viii.
liam c. Jarvis, touching the perpetuity
Of our institutions, written many
years after he had retired to private
life, said:
Iii the three powers of our govern
ment maintain their mutual independ-
ence of each other, it may last long,
but not so if either can assume the
authority OF the other"
1t must be confessed that in the
course of our history, executives have
employed powers not belonging to
them; statutes have been passed that
were expressly forbidden by the con-
stitution, and statutes have been set
aside as unconstitutional when it was
difficult to point out the provisions
said to be offended against in their en-.
actment; all this has been done with
a grand purpose no doubt, but in dis.
regard, nevertheless, of the fact that
ours is government of laws, not oil
men, deriving its "just powers from
the consent Of the governed"
LAWS SHOULD GOVERN.
If 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 oil
that authority which resides in the
whole people; whether the usurper be
by officials representing one of the de.
partments of government or by body
of them acting without commission
from the people, impatience of the re-
straints OF law, as we'll as of its delays,
is becoming more and more manifes,
from day to day. Within the past
few years, many instances have been
brought to our attention where in diff.
ferent parts of our beloved country,
supposed criminals have been seized
and punished by mob, notwithstand.
ing the fact that the constitution oi
each State guarantees to every person
within its Jurisdiction that his life,
liberty or property shall not be taken
from him without 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 oil
property. The perpetrators of this Of.
Tense against the laws OF God and man,
and all others engaged in the conspir.
acy with them should, after due trial
and conviction, have had meted out to
them the most rigorous punishment
known to the law. This crime, added
perhaps to others, led to the formation
OF a committee of citizens that, with
the support OF the military authori.
ties, deports from the State, withou,
trial. persons suspected OF belonging
to the organization of which the per.
petrators of the dynamite outrages
were supposed to be members. In both
cases the reign of law gave way to the
reign OF force. These illustrations
present some evidence of the failure OF
government to protect the citizen and
his property, which not only justified
the action of your convention in this
regard, but made it itS duty to call at
tention to the fact that constitutional
guarantees are violated when any citi.
zen is deuied the right to labor, to en-.
Joy property or 10 reside where his in.
terests or inclination may determine,
and the fulfillment OF the assurance to
punish all denials OF these rights,
whether brought about by individuals
or government agencies, should be en-.
forced by every official and supported
by every citizen. The essence of good
government lies in strict observance
OF constitutional limitations, enforce.
ment of law and order and rugged op.
position to all encroachment upon the
sovereignty of the people.
REPU BLIC VS.. ANARCHY.
The foregoing suggestions but en-
phasize the distinction which exists
between our own and many other
forms of government. It has been
we'll said in substance, that there are
but two powers 10 government, one
the power of the sword, sustained by
the hand that wields it, and to the
other, the power of the law, sustained
by an enlightened public sentiment.
The difference in these powers is the
difference in the republic-such as
powers, based on law and written
constitution, supported by intelligence
and patriotism-and q monarchy, sus.
tanned by force exerted by an indidid'
ual, uncontrolled by laws other than
those made or sanctioned by him; one
represents constitutionalism, the other
imperialism.
The present tariff law is unjust In
its operations, excessive in many OF its
rates and go framed in particular in.
stances as to exact profits from the
people. So we'll understood has this
view become that many prominent
members of the Republican party, and
at least two of its State conventions
haya daroJ IN voico tho oopsral aenti