The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-17
BRYAN on Government.
louisville Courier-Journal.)

trlnal ana historic democracy. ~
reads like an editorial out of the
ICourier-J Journal For example:
There are two forces constantly
at work in every national, one force
tending to bring the government near
er to the people and the other tend
| ing to carry the government from the
people. To go a little farther PACK
we may start with a proposition that
| there are but two theories of govern
ment-one that a government is a
thing created by the people for them
selves-this is the theory which is
embodied in our Declaration of indie
pendence, which declares that govern
ments derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed. The
opposite theory is that governments
are imposed by the few upon the
many-such governments rest on
force. Few. if any, governments now
known entirely eXemplify either the
DRY, nearly all if not all of them rep
resenting a compromise between the
two theories, but in every government
there is tendency either in one dlrec-
ton or the other"
This is a clear statement of a philo-
sophie fact on which Democracy,
under jefferson, originally planted it
self and from which, ever since, DEM
Gratis h~ye directed their fire alike
against the Federalists, the Wings and
the Republicans.
Again We quote:
I'm this country opposition to the
rule of the people usually takes the
FORM of the advocacy of legislation,
which removes authority from a point
near to the people to some point
more remote from them. This tend
ency to remove authority from the
locality to a center farther away may
be described as centralizatiNn. III
the principles upon which self-govern-
ment rests are sound then the people
can best govern where they are best
acquainted with the machinery of
the government and with the propo-
stions upon which they are to act
Every attempt to take authority away
from a community and vest it in some
power outside of the community con-
tains a certain amount of infidelity to
the Democratic theory of government
Usually there is some partisan reason
which furnishes the justification, but
no partisan reason can remove a fun
damental objection. In some States
the police control of the larger cities
is taken out of the hands of the peO-
pie living in those cities and deposit
ed with the governor of the State. No
matter on what theory this is done it
is not consistent with confidence in
the capacity of the people for self
government, and is certain to be used
as a precedent for a further weaken
ing of the power of the people to con-
troll their own affairs"
Here we have the principle of Home
Rule admirably set forth. Every
true Democrat will subscribe to it..
The Courier-Journal never in its most
hzlcyon days stated it better.
Wa rp 81 we'll nlp1 Sp0 that we con-
, tinue to quote:
Just now public attention is being
, directed to the encroachments of
great corporations upon the rights of
the people, and the discussion OF
remedies reveals the fact that among
those who really desire to effectively
restrain corporations there are two
distinct elements-those who desire
to enlarge the scope of the Federal
government and those who desire to
preserve the integrity and authority
of the several States. / invite your
attention to this subject because il is
likely to be rock upon which hon
est reformers will split unless there is
Il clear understanding of the Situa-
ton. The JefersOnian Democrat
would not take from the Federal gov
eminent any power necessary to the
performance of it's legitimate duties,
but he recognizes that the consolida-
ton OF all the government at Wash
ington would be a meI%ce TO the
= safety of the nation and would en-
danger the perpetuity of the republic.
He believes in the preservation of the
power OF both State and Federal gov
ernments, recognizing in the consti-
tutional division of those powers the
strength of free government. The
advocate of Capitalization is always
icfi0 NXrhn hn do Of
tralization are pointed out. He is
not afraid that any harm can come to
the American people, and yet no en-
! thusiastic advocate of Capitalization
can talk long without betraying his
distruSt of the people. Instead of ac-
cepting the theory that the people
! should think for themselves and then
select representatives to carry out
those thoughts, they believe that rep
resentatives are Selected to think for
the people and they do not hesitate
to build barriers between the govern
ment and the voters. While the ad-
vocate of centra lization is urging leg
islation which obliterates State lines
and removes the government from the
control of the voters, the monopoliSt
may on the other hand hide behind
the Democratic theory of self-goVern-
ment and use this theory to prevent
ndllOIldl REGISTRATION, WHICH may De
necessary. The Democrat who be-
lieves in Democratic principles and
who wants to preserve the dual char
acter Of our government. must be on
his guard against both"
1 All excellently we'll said. In APP
plying its suggestions to the proposed
act OF Congress- turning over control
of the business of insurance to the
General Government, Mr.. Bryan is
equally strong. This indeed is one
of the schemes of Capitalization which
needs to be watched. The rascality
insurance people think that if they can
rid themselves of the supervision of
the several States, and pool their is
sues at Washington, they may con-
tinue to do as they please. That is
their game. in seeing it, Selling it
and exposing it, Mr.. Bryan performs
service to the general public and
gives to his party a cue which Dem
ocrats will not be slow to take and
follow.
In truth, as political philosopher
expounding principles and systems of
government, Mr.. Bryan has always
been most successful and attractive