The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-05-21

on b Other Handf guarding against
the license sof the mob. They repre-
scented thirteen Colonies. which thru
successful war had made themselves
independent and sovereign States.
Each Of these States parted with a
portion of its sovereignty to estab-
1ish "a nor perfect Union" distinct
ly reserving to itself all powers mot
delegated" to the newly created Cen
trail government, lor prohibited by
it to the States" Happily, Washing
ton was at the helm, as Jackson was,
and Lincoln later along else who shall
say the sublime scheme of emancipa-
ton from historic thraldom might not
have persisted whilst yet in its in
fancy?
The Government thus set was and
is not only a dual Government of
State and Federal powers, but a Gov
eminent within itself of triple powers
the Legislature to enact the law, the
Executive to administer the law and
the Supreme Court to co1strue the
law. Naturally, there thence arose
differences touching the meaning of
the Constitution which had to be de
fined and adjusted, and out of these
sprang the party allignments of near
ly a century. But, in those times
there was no actual or even seeming
dSSdulI upon the CONSTITUTION 1lS6I-
in the Wal of Sections each party
claimed it for it's own. In the Recon
struction of the Union after that war.
the victorious Mort adhered strictly
to the forms laid down by the Consti-
triton for its amendment to meet the
altered conditions. For the first time
in our history, it is proposed by a Pre-
sident of the United States, supported
by some of the most eminent of his
official advisors. to change the Con-
stitution by Executive Construction,
not by amendment as is prescribed
by its terms, and, if this be not promp
tly and adequately met, it BODIES rev
luton and ruin if not to the material
prosperity of the country, yet to its
admirable system OF Constitutional
checks and balances through the ag-
ency of which it has saved itself at
home and grown great as a world pow
er. still a Republic in fact and not
merely a Republic in name.
III.
Here is al issue of t-ra1scendant i'm
portance. They who fancy it an alb
straction little reck the relation Of the
Constitution to the life of the people.
1t was Jefferson's devotion to the Con
stitution which saved us from quasi
monarchism. It was Jackso1's devo-
ton to the Constitution which saved
us incipient disunion. 1t was Lncoln's
devotion to the Constitution which
saved both the Constitution and the
Union. And it was the veneration in
which the Constitution was held after
the Wal of Secession which saved
the Government from Naturalization
by the defeat of the Impeachment pro
ceeding, which meant revolution, and
the rescue of the south from the fate
of Poland and Ireland.
We cannot with safety go too fast
in our attempts to cure the conceded
evils of this present time. Nor should
any party attempt to do too much.
High Finance is a serious distemper.
So is High Tariff. Both may be reach
ed without violating the Constitution
and the law; neither can be reached
by radical appliances promising all
things to all men. The Constitution
is as a blanket covering the body poll
tic. If the Constitutional changes be
required let them be effected by the
process of amendment prescribed by
the Constitution itself.
The Nation is not diseased. Only
a very small part Of it is d~isordered.
Republican party has made itself
the Socialist of the rich. The Hearst
party is trying to make itself the So
of the poor The real good of
the country, and the people, lies be-
tween the two, and a great mass of
the people are sick and tired of spec
tacular policies to say nothing about
patent medicines.
The next Democratic platform should
be very short and very crisp. 1t
should be Sc simple that he VINO runs
may read. The Tariff must be reduc-
ed to a Revenue basis. The Govern
ment has not right either IN equity,
or in law, to collect a dollar of taxes
for its own support. Public
ity for the franchise corporations.
The Railways to be reached and re-
gulated through the Interstate Conn
merce commission; but the law to
be limited to the supervision of their
capitalization and their relation to
the general public, striking down the
possibility of discrimination, and ex-
cesses, either as to passengers or ship
pers. The Railways are the property
the people. Their should
be made to obey the law. But all
enacted in hot blood, Oh for re-
can in the enc only recoil upon
the people. The separation of Church
and State. The further improvement
h labor laws sc as more fully to
meet the reasonable demands of laboE
against the frequent impositions of
cdpILdl, anu Illus Dy eliminating just |
causes of discomfort to allay agita-
ton and make progress toward the
complete reconciliation of capital and
1t seems to us that a few simple
rescripts of this sort, grouped under
paramount issue of Back to the
Constitution" would put the Demo
party on a solid and high
Public Ownership is a mi
The Initiative and the Refer
endum T foreign to our Constitution
al System of checks and balances and
.mpr~acticable to a territory of such
yast extent and a population so varied
great n widely separate. Home
Rule for the states, the Federal pow
or, restricted by the Constitution, for
Nation; a cessation for a while
strenuous politics.: and, above
al, as among Democrats, a little less
vinegar and a little more oil, with a
1rop, or two-just a drop, or two Of
Molasses.
Kansas Athletic Meet.