The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1905-11-22
constitution and peclaratiOn.

I u
: be controlled by the principle
q upon which the nation was found
. ed if popul 7 government is to sur
: vive. Justice Matthews of thu
, United States supreme court, de
! Iivering an opinion which has since
been approvingly quoted by Jus
tioe Brewer said:
when we consider the nature
and theory of our institutions oi
government. the principles upon
which they are supposed to rest
and review the history of their
development, we are constrained
to conclude th,t they do not mean
to leave room for the play and ac-
ton of purely personal and arbi-
trary power. The first official ac-
tion of the nation declared the
foundation of the government in
these WoEds: We hold these
truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their creator with
certain unalienable rights, thst
among these are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness While
suoh declaration of principles may
not have the force of organic law,
or be made the basis of judicial de-
cision as to the limits of right and
duty, and while in all cases refer
ence must be had to the organic
law of the nation for such limits,
yet the latter is but the body and
the letter, of which the former is
the thought and the spirit. And
1t is always safe to read the letter
of the constitution in the spirit of
the Declaration of Independence.
No duty rests more imperatively
upon the courts than the enforce.
ment of those constitutional pro-
visions intended to secure that
equality of rights which is the
foundation of free government"
The importance of linking to-
gether the Declaration of Inde-
pendenoe and the constitution is
shown in recent American history,
So long as we read our constitution.
frame our laws and conform our
executive action in accordance with
the spirit of the declaration every
individual and every interest SUBJ
jeot to United States jurisdiction
is safe. There is danger when the
two are separated.
The Republican party has sep
arated the constitution from the
declaration, and having weakened
the structure to that extent has not
hesitated to repudiate the consti-
tuition as it has repudiated the
declaration. Every constitutional
paragraph that has conaicted with
the purpose of Republican leaders
has been violated The legislative
powers granted exclusively to oon-
gress have repeatedly been usurped
by the executive. In the face of
an explicit prohibition in the oon-
stitution an export tax has been
levied. and in the arrangement of
tariff duties preferences have been
given to one port over another.
Treaties have been undertaken by
the executive alone, and without
the advice of the senate. The
right of trial by jury has been
denied to the people of our new
possessions; and although our &C n
stitution declares that there shall
be no slavery in the United States
or any place subject to their juris-
diotion, the Republican party is
responsible for the agreement
wherein it was provided that on
territory subject to United States
jurisdiotion-territory over which
the American flag foated-slaves
should have the privilege of pur-
chasing their freedom by paying
to the master the usual market
price. The Commoner.
II owe my whole life to Burdock
Blood Bitters ScrofuIous sores
covered my body. 1 seemed be-
yond cure, B B. B. has made me
perfectly we'll woman" Mrs.
Ohss. Hutton. Berville, Mich.
AS a campaign manager, one
Charles Dick, of Akron, OHIO, is q
poor successor to the late Mark
Hanna. His own county went