Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-07-31
Knox ON Roosevelt.

In his speech at Yale Law School,
Senator Knox fell into line with the
Democrats on the question of State
rights. Several of his propositions are
worth reproducing as tending to show
the drift Of public sentiment away from
the Roosevelt policies back to the Con-
stltution and to the time-honored prins
clple Of strict construction on which
the Democratic party was founded by
Jefferson and Madison. For instance,
he said the claim: THAT the Con-
gress Of the United States has no gen.
eral legislative powers, but only such
specific powers as are granted to 1t by
the Constitution, is not an old-fash-
Toned and exploded notion; !" and add
ed: 'eThe preservation of the Constl-
tuition Is not committed to the Federal
judiciary alone. 1t Is the oath-bound
obligation Of every legislative, judicial
and executive officer Of the States and
nation; and it Is the highest duty Of
private citizenship"
Senator Knox does not believe In
amending the Constitution by judicial
or Executive construction. as the Pres
ident and Mr.. Root and Judge Farrar
do. He says: 1.-THE powers Of the
Federal government cannot be in
creased, except by new grants of power
through amendment of the Constitution.
The liberty Of the law-maker
Is subject to restraints, as well as the
liberty of the private Individual"
The whole speech is a yelled attack
upon Roosevelt and his so-called poll
cies." 1t breathes throughout lack
of confidence in the present admlnlstra-
ton. The motive behind it may, how
ever, be suspected of being insincere
and selfish, since Knox ls candidate
for the Presidency himself; and, on
general principles, we are forced to
doubt the good faith of a statesman
who, while upholding in his practice
the odious. audacious and unconstitu.
tional legislation Of the Republican
party relating to the tariff, colonial
ism, and monopolies, yet processes such
doctrines ms those enunclated in this
speech. We should withhold our con-
f1dence from any such man, as well as
from the more spectacular and dashing
gamester against whom he is playing.
For, as Jefferson says:
1t would be dangerous delusion
were a confidence in the men Of our
choice to silence our fears for the
safety of our rights. Confidence is
everywhere the parent of despotlsm.
Free government is founded In jeal-
ousy, and not in confidence. 1t is zeal
ousy. and not confidence, which pre-.
scribes limited constitutions to bind
down those whom we are obliged to
trust with power. Our Constitution
has accordingly fixed the limits to
which, and no further, our confidence
may CO." And on the same occasion
Jefferson denounced the protective tar
iii system to which Knox is even more
firmly attached than Roosevelt, as one
which goes to the destruction Of the
limits prescribed to the power of Con-
gress by the Constitution; and con
Guided by saying: I'm questions Of
power, then. let NO more be heard Of,
confidence in man. but bind him down
from mischief by the chains of the
Constitution"
This Jeffersonian doctrine respecting
overconfidence in men applies no less
torclbly to Mr.. Knox than to any other
man. 1t applies to all public men. 1t
Is as much a part of the Democratic
creed as the doctrine of Home Rule or
taxation for revenue only.