The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-09-24
Imperialism Run Wild.


The term of Senator Fulton, of Ore
gon, will expire March 3, 1909. and he
is now canvassing the State as a can
didate for reelection, it being the Gus
tom in Oregon for the voters to in
struct members of the legislature how
they shall vote on the election of U. S.
Senators by expressing their will at
the polls. Senator Fulton made a
speech recently at Corvallis, in which
he advocated the election of Senators
in Congress by the people, a PROPOSE
ton generally favored by Democrats
and opposed by Republicans; but he
went a good deal farther and linked
this proposition with two others which
are entirely undemOcratic and subser-
wise of our whole system of govern
ment. In fact he went as far as Roose-
welt or Root ever went in the direc-
ton of destroying State and local
rights; and put the propositions of
these ultralmperialists into plain Ian
guage. Il am firmly convinced. said
he, that instead of delegating certain
specified powers to the general govern
ment, all power should be vested in it,
and that the States should exercise
OILY such powers as Congress may
from time to time endow them with,
or, 10 the utmost, their powers should
be limited and confined to subjects
necessary to local lf-government, and
all other powers be vested in the
general government" This doctrine
is simply monstrous andsstreasonable.
1t would destroy thei equality of the
State and in the Senate and reduce the
smaller states to mere villages. 1t is
a reversal of the theory of Federal
Government. and is the very quintes-
sence and deadly virus Of imperialism.
1t is, indeed, imperialism run wild.
For. as it is now, the States alone have
original powers, and the United States
Government has only delegated poWe4s,
and can exercise no power not plainly
delegated. How could a government
having delegated powers only, delegate
such power back to their original pos
SCISSOR without leaving Itself devoid of
al powers? In effect, Senator Fulton's
idea is for the Government of the
Union to make a quit-claim deed of ali
its powers, and then secure a new deed
giving it all powers, and making it
like the Old Kings of England, 1.-The
fountain o.. honor" and the only source
of power, having local government to
depend solely on its favor. Again the
Senator says: 1.-The power..to regulate
commerce of every character, State
and interstate, should be vested solely
in the Federal government. l have
prepared and shall offer at the coming
session a proposed amendment to the
Federal Constitution granting the
General government that power. 3"
This is dangerous and futile doctrine.
The Federal Congress at Washington
is far less responsive to the popular
will than the State Legislature, many
of which are watched as carefully by
the electors as are the local mumnici-
pal councils. Most grievances ARE
more or less local, and when they must
be carried to Congress they can with
safety be perpetuated by the voters
of members from districts in no way
interested. The Railway interests on
the other hand, are concentrated and
thoroughly organized and can bring
their political powers to bear more
effectually at Washington than at the
State capitals. As Governmental es-
tablishment becomes farther removed
from and above the popular source of
its authority the stronger is its ter
dency to sacrifice the public interest.
What the people need is local self
government in ali matters involving
purely domestic affairs. Oregon needs
this as much as North Carolina does.