The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-06-05

Sudll pledS6 Tue hepuUllCdH VI
ganization to dole it out to us.
What we demand is vigorous
action at the earliest practi-
cable moment. This action should
come in the shape of bold and
free protection of the masses from
the insiduous robbery to which
they have been so long subjected
by the lavish protection show
cred by the Republican party for
years upon specially favored
classes of our fellow citizens who
have no just right or title to be
singled out as the recipients of
the munifcent bounty of the gov
eminent and enormously enriched
out of taxes wrongfully wrung
from the necessities of the great
body of the people.
The reform which we demand is
such a revision of the existing
tariff as will rescue the people
from the oppressive burdens under
which they now suffer, while at
the same time it will steadily keep
in view the necessity of securing
revenues amply adequate to all
the needs of frugal, economical
and honest administration of the
Government.
We believe that all this can be
done without injustice to the in
terests that in the past have been
so needlessly nurtured and sus
tanned by the Republican party
and without detriment or check
to the true prosperityOf the people,
and we appeal to our countrymen
to support us in this demand for
relief and protection against greed
and oppression and for rstrench-
ment in tn, expenditures OF the
Government.
LIMITATIONS OF PUBLIC POWER.
The Democratic party has al
ways maintained that the powers
of the Federal Government under
our Constitution are absolutely
supreme within their orbit and
cannot lawfully be denied. resist
ed or INSTRUCTED when exercised
within their true sphere.
1t has always maintained with
equal vigor and tenacity thut the
reserved rights of the sovereign
States of which our Federal Union
is composed should be resolutely
and stoutly maintained against
Federal sncrOachment.
And it stands today, as it ha,
always stood, the unreleuting foe,
on the one hand. of those who
would deprive the Federal Gov
eminent Of any of its constitution
al powers, and on the other hand,
of those who would take from the
States and give to tn Federal
Government any of the powers
which exclusively belong to the
States.
As members and representatives
of the national Democratic party
we are jealous of all attempts tt
belittle the powers of the Fedora
Government and to deny il the
free and full exercise of any siuglt
one of its lawful powers.
But, at the same time, we hole
that in the Constitution alone are
to be found the measure and lin
itations of its jurisdiction anG
that no departure from these limi
tations can be tolerated without
peril to the Republic.
We denounce, therefore, the
dangerous, new tangled doctrine
that powers which, iu the opinion
of the advocates of bouudless cen
tralization ought to be possessed
by the Federal Government, by
which, under the Constitution
exclusively belong to the States
can lawfully or safely be exercised
by the Federal Government sim
ply because the States have moi
seen fit to exercise them: and We
denounce that equally dangerou.
claim that the Constitution may
be elastically expanded by execu
tive or judicial amendment in
stead of by amendments enacted
in the specific mode provided il
the Constitution.
FEDERAL USURPATION.
Federal usurpation and en-,
crOachment cannot be justified
excused or tolerated or overlooked
upon the ground of alleged expe
dieDcy, desirability or necessity;
nor upon the equally alarming
ground that. if III any given case
the States shall fail to exercise
their just powers, the powers OF
the general government shall
thereby be enlarged to meet the
supposed emergency.
We declare our intlexible oppo
sition TO both of these methods OF
expanding Federal power At the
expense of the just powers of the
States, and we especially de-
mammal fhe hold ard ra-olnf,ono,-