Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-08-12

irrevocably established, a matter con-
corning which I felt it incumbent upon
me to make known my attitude, that
hereafter man could justly say that
his support had been secured through
indirection or mistake, the convention re-
iterated its determination that 7 should
be the standard bearer of the party in
| the present contest. This mark of trust
and confidence shall ever esteem as the
highest honor that could be conferred
upon mean honor that. whatever may
| be the fate of the campaign. the future
can in no degree lessen or impair.
The admirable platform upon which the
party appeals to the country for its con-
fdence and support clearly states the
principles which were we'll condensed
| in the first inaugural address of President
Jefferson, and points out with force and
direction the course to be pursued
through their proper application in or
der to insure needed reforms in both the
legislative and administrative DEPART
mentS of the government. While unheSi-
tating in its promise to correct abuses
and to right wrongs wherever they ap-
| pear or however caused; to investigate
the several administrative departments
of the government, the conduct of whose
officials has created scandals, and to
punish those who have been guilty of
| breach of their trust; to oppose the grant
| ing of special privileges by which the
few may profit at the expense of the
many; to practice economy in the eX-
| and to that end to return once more to
| the methods of the founders of the re-
public, by observing in disbursing the
public funds the care and caution a pru-
dent individual observes with respect to
his own; still the spirit of the platform
assures conservative instead of rash &C
ton; the protection of the innocent as
well as the punishment of the guilty;
| the encouragement of industry, economy
and thrift; the protection of property and
| a he
benefit of all of man's inalienable rights,
among which, said in the declaration
|. of independence, are life, liberty and
| the pursuit of happiness. Liberty, as
| understood in this country, means not
| only the right of freedom from actual
servitude, Imprisonment restraint, but
| the right of one to his faculties in
| all lawful ways, to live and work where
| he will and to pursue any lawful trade or
| business. These essential rights of life,
| liberty and property are not only guaran-
teed to the citizen by the constitution of
each of the several states, but the States
| are by he Fourteenth amendment TO the
constitution of the United States forbid
den to deprive any person of any one of
them without due process of law.
| Occasionally, by reason of unnecessary
or impatient agitation for reforms, or be-
cause the limitations placed upon the
| departments of government by the con-
| stitution are disregarded by officials de-
| string to accomplish that which to them
/ seems SOOO, Wnetner the power exists IN
| them or not, it becomes desirable 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 governmental powers con-
| ferred and to say to departments created
| by It: ''Thus far shalt thou go and no
| farther" To secure the ends sought the
people have by the constitution separated
| and distributed among the three depart.
| ments of overEment-eXecutive, legiSla-
| tive and judicia1-certain powers, and it
| is the duty of those administering each
| department to act as to preserves,
| rather than to destroy, the potency Of
| the coordinate branches of the goveSs-
| ment and thus secure the exercise of all
| the powers conferred by the people =
| 1t must be confessed that in the course
of our history executives have employed
powers not belonging to them; statutes
forbidden by the constitution and stat
| utes have been set aside as unconstitu-
| tional when it was difficult to point OUT
| the provisions said to be offended against
| in their enactment; all this has been done
with a good purpose, no doubt. but in
disregard, nevertheless. OF the fact that
ours is government of laws. NOT of men.
| deriving its just powers from the con-
| sent OF the governed.
/ If we would have our government con-
tinue during the ages to come for the
4 benefit of those who shall succeed US.
| we must ever be our guard against
| the danger of usurpation of that author
| ity which resides in the whole people.
| whether the usurpation be by officials
| representing one of the great departments
| of government or by body OF men act
| ing without commission from the peo-
| pie. Impatience Of the restraints of lavs