The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-11

that battalion fired gun.
 q am not alone in this belief. All the officers of that command. who at the heginninp were by circumstantial evidence made to believe that some of the men hao participated in the shooting. are now or the oninion. and have so testified, that all were innocent.
 .1,ut. however, all this may be- the m ..n have had hearing. They have been permitted to state their defense' ana whether that defense prevails or not, IL has been demonstrated that this IS
 government of law, government Wlere the rights of citizens no matter now huuble they may be, shall be protected hv the law and not a government under which by autocratic doctrines, men may he dishonored and stripped Of thelr most valuable rights. 94.
 "But running through all this conten- ton. there is found another broad ana important question. what IS the oiiiee of n senator? Is he a mere agent to register the will of somebody else, or IS ] ha s,lnposed to have opinions of his own win, Iberty to stand for them In de- bate and when he votes? .,.,.. "T have always understood and thought representatives of the people are ae- countable only to the people; that they are not properly subject to any other m ananca and for that reason, stand ever
 s,, +o render to my constituents an
 
 | acco,,nt of my stewardship. It IS tneir r,.1t to have it-it is my duty to give; aed ;f thev are dissatisfied they have n remedy for that dissatisfaction III tnelr own hands. They can select another | But. while conceding the rsht ol l evc-vbody else to differ from me- aehy the rirht of anybody except my constt-
 ta coll me to account. Therefore ,t i .ha+ I propose to carry my cause d,ractlv to my constituents whenever is-
 s,,a. ,,sav arise in which l am interested IF they agree with me, shall De reJoleeu'
 is not shall be satisfied But while [ will thus submit my cause 10 the peo ple anl abide by their Judsment, | "ili not submit to the dictation or threa.s ui
 menaces of any kind or noss' e's o' .ote n...e' inside the state or outside or tpe state. Waithor will I acuuiesce without protest l., what I do not approve no matter py
 whom 1t may be proposea. . ..r he,jeve in our dual system of gov
 ernment one state and the other na-
 tionel: one to deal with local aHairs, the
 othsr with those that are national ana
 international. I believe tnat as lhe nus-
 mess of the government and the dutes
 of the state multiply, it will become more
 ana more strikinsly manifest that our
 fathers were wise in providing such
 system and that instead Of talking apout
 th,, obliteration of state lines, we should
 more than ever be careful 10 preserve
 ty the states their proper rights and
 functions, just as we have always been
 zealous to protect the federal government in the exercise of all the powers dele gated to it. either express or by implica- tion.''
 : Concluding, the senator said:
 we can be proud also of the honor and integrity of the business men Of this country. What they most need today. is not so much an increased surveillance and guardianship of law as Una. hoerty protection under the law. which they have | always enjoyed
 Bad men and bad corporations and | tr,-ts there are. and always have been.
 and always will be. but there IS also a law for their prevention and punishment. and with respect to all such let the | law take its course"