Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-01-10
POWER FOR PEOPLE
RIGHT TO HOME RULE eHoULD
BE JEALOUSY GUARDED.
To Preserve Our Democratic Republic
Constant Vigilance Is Necessary
Concentration of Govern
ment a Fatal Error.

Nothing should be so cherished by
the people of the United States as
their right to home rule. Any action
by the legislative, executive or judi
cial departments of the federal gov
ment looking towards increased cen
tralization in the hands of the federal
government is a step towards decreas-
ing the power of the people to govern
themselves. Nor should the people
of any state. view the encroachment
of their state government with any
less suspicion, for home rule is a
fundamental democratic principle.
There is nothing so necessary in a
democratic-republic as the constant
vigilance of the voters to preserve
and if possible increase their W
power to direct their local govern
ment. 1t need only be pointed out
that the most vexatious and irritating
issues, such as sumptuary laws, can
best be settled by allowing each coun-
ty or township to pass upon the ques-
ton of wet" or dry high license
or no license. Taxation for local pur-
poses a only be settled equitably in
the same way. The old town meet
ing" is the place where home rule
started, and no better plan has eve
been devised to give each sovereign
citizen an equal right with his neigh
bors to express his views and vote
intelligently on the matters that di-
rectly interest him.
Directly the power to rule is dele
gated to others there is the tendency
to encroach upon the liberty of the
citizen and to concentrate more power
in fewer hands. Our vastly increased
population has made it more and more
difficult to preserve home rule, and
has tended to lead citizens to look
to a higher power to do the things
they have neglected or feel unable to
do. The individual looks to the town
or ward; the town looks to the county
the county looks to the state and the
state looks to the United States to dc
what would be irksome or expensive
for the lesser political subdivisions tC
do, but which could be better done
v e by individuals, if they are public
spirited and act with energy. The
further away from home rule we get
the greater is the cost of government
and the more difficult to prevent graft
ing and corruption.
After all, government, whether town
city, county, state or national can d.
but little to help each individual. II
preserve the peace and punish evi
doors is almost the extent of the goo
of all u complicated government ma
chinery. If the people had not gradu
ally allowed the concentration o
government in other hands but thei
own, there would be but half the take
and half the horde of public official
sucking at their substance. Their
would be no tramps and but few poo
and aged but what their friends an
neighbors could care for. There woul
be much less crime and litigation
fewer lawyers and hence laws woul
not be made so complicated and ii
tricate, but more plain and simple
One-half the judges would be I'll
needed, and jails and r~eformatorie
would have less occupants. There l
a tendency, that should be stayed, 10
individuals to run to the mayor o
council, or state legislature or eve
congress for assistance, or the rigt
to do something that they ought nc
!, to do, or to prevent their neighbor
, from doing what they inherently haV
the right to do, or might do withol
/ injury to the public.
Personal and public ignorance ha
led to most of the excrescences of go
eminent, but now everyone is becon
ing educated, in a measure, why ca
not we hold fast to what remains
, simple government and home rule ii
> stead of making it more complicate
! and concentrated? The federal go
, eminent has we'll defined power
granted to it by the states and all els
, is expressly reserved to the states an
| the people. The proposition to expau
the constitutional limits of the federt
government and for the executive
do things" that he has no power
, do. is a dangerous innovation thi
. should be checked and curbed. An o
casional crisis may be reached in sue
. a strenuous manner, but it is very da
gerous to the republic and If above
!, to be persisted in will break down
> the safeguards to the liberty of the
i dividual. which our forefathers pr
/, vided for so carefully.