The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-04-11

The constitution OF the ancient re
public of Rome, which for 800 years
had recognized the voice Of the people
as supreme. was expanded by execu
tive Interpretation and contracted BY
executive administration. until Romt
had so completely outgrown its demo
cratic conditions as to become only
a tragedy and a tradition. Let us i'm
plore the aid of Him on high to pre-
serve us from the errors which ruined
Rome, by the avoidance OF which
America may travel on TO that destiny
and realize that fufillment which will
be the inspiration of right.thlnking
men OF all ages yet to come.
Our government is divided into
three separate and distinct coordi
nate branches: the legislative, the
executive and the judicial. Danger
will surely come to this republic when
any of these depart ments of govern.
ment attempt In the slightest degree
to usurp the functions of the other.
And while now and then IL may be
that court Of tho land, in constituting
Of Il, have the faith to feel that the peo.
pie OF the country will rise above the
fallibiity of judicial tribunals and
assert and preserve their own rights
Our duty II not to criticise the execu
tive, the legislature or the judiciary.
Very recently there has come from
the highest judicial tribunal in the
1n, = let. .C al IT, n
concern to the American people, be.
cause IL has established principle,
rs stated by one member of the court
which would work radical change
in our governmental system and would
iDaugurate a new era in the Ameri
can judicial system and in the rela
tions of the national and state gov
ernments. II would enable the subor
dinAte federal courts to supervise and
control the official action of the states
as though they were dependencies mr.
provinces. 1t would place the states
of the union in a condition of infer
ioiity never dreamed of when the con
stltution was adopted or when the
eleventh amendment was made part
of the supreme law of the land" II
this is the result of this decision, It
Is, to my mind, one of the unhappy
incidents in the history of our repub.
lie, because the very theory of our
government is based upon the right of
the states to control absolutely their
own domestic affairs.
If, then, our whole system of gov.
ornment is changed, have we not only
retarded the progress of the republic,
but have we not gone back century
toward centralized form of gov
ernment which is not to the advan.
tage of the people? What this gov.
ernment needs is not more power.
What it needs today is to so dis
tribute the privileges under the gov.
eminent that all citizens will have
equal opportunity. America has been
| called the land of opportunity. But
| American opportunity should not
mean a granting of special privileges
| 10 any class, but should afford all alike
| the means for culture, education, pros
perity and contentment
For nearly a century and a half
America has presented to the world
the spectacle of happy, prosperous
and intelligent people maintaining a
pure democracy founded upon their
supreme will, The hallmark of de-
mocracy is that the powers of gov.
eminent are close to the people.
Throughout the world, wherever de,
| mOcracy Is advancing itS nroprosS &c
marked by greater measure of self.
government to each community. VIII
the American people turn to the set
ting rather than the rising sun? Shall
' Wo now hocnmsc son,o lave nro fo,,,, =