The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-10-24
Lyman Abbott Says Anti-lm-
perialists, Socalled, are Real
~ Anti-NatiOnalists.
One Party Strengthens Fed
eral Arm: Other Weakens II.
THE ooNsrIrUIIoNAL ISSUES

In this weeks issue OF the Outlook
DR.. Lyman Abbott defines the consti-
tut.ona, issue OF the Campaign aud
outlines history OF party development.
He says:
81 think the peril lies in such a.
concentration OF power in CONNER
cial organizations. and such a lack OF
power In the federal government. that
We shall be ruled by aggregatlons OF
money. not by majorties OF men"
lie began:
In stating the constitutional issue
involved IN the present political cam
paign I must restate questions and
reafilrm principles recently stated and
affirmed In these columns. This
article. therefore. will be TO some ex-
tent a repetition OF comparatively re-
cent editorial utterances.
Two fundamental constitutional
questions are involved in this cam
palgn. by necessary Implication rather
than by explicit statement. First:
Is the constitution the creator or the
creature OF the nation? does Il de
termine what are It's powers. or does
Il only determine how those powers
are TO be distributed7 Second. As
suming that II determines the distri-
button OF those powers. Is there any
general principles by which we can be
guided In determining what class OF
powers belong TO the federal govern
ment and what belong to the states?
on these questions the people oil
the United States have been divided
IN opinion ever since colonial days
One party has dreaded Capitalization.
Some among them In 1887 bitterly
opposed any federal constitution.
Others consented. though reluctantly
The burnt child breads the fire. and
they dreaded the exercise OF auto
cratic powers like those exercised by
George III over the colonies. or this
anti-Federalist party Thomas Jeffer
son was the most distinguished rep
reseniative. George Clinton the most
vehement. The other party dreaded
disintegration. They recalled. not the
despotlsm OF George Ill. but the we'll
nigh fatal weakness OF the confedera-
ton and the impotence OF the cont
mental congress. They wanted a
strong federal government. OF this
party Alexander Hamilton was the
most distinguished representative. The
question whether ultimate sover-
eighty resides In the states or In the
nation was left undetermined by the
constitution. u was finally settled by
Civil war. But the war did not end
the temperament differences which
contributed 10 produce Il. There are
no Jenersonian Democrats left and no
Hamlltonian Federalists. But the
tendency which they represented re-
main. The Democratic party Is the
heir OF Thomas Jefferson; the Re-
publican party is the heir OF Alex
ander Hamilton.
!. Is the constitution OF the United
States like the charter OF a corpora
ton. 80 that we look to Il TO see what
are the powers OF the chartered COM
pany9 or Is It like the bylaws OF the
corporation. so that We ,ook TO II TO
see how those powers shall be exer-
cisei? Has the American nation
right TO acquire territory, and. hav-
ing acquired Il. TO govern II as a sub
feet province and Its Inhabitants as
subjects until. by properly constituted
authority, II is admitted into the
union of the states? One party re-
plies. I'VE can find In the constitution
no authority for such a preceding"
The other party replies. "The consti-
tuition has made OF the American peo-
pie a nation; this nation has all the
rights and powers which from time
lmmemorial have belonged to nation
ality; the power to acquire territory
aud govern Il Is one OF those rights:
Il is not. like the right to establish
slavery or national religion, ex-
pressly denied by the constitution to
the nation; therefore the nation may
exercise It," This doctrine its oppo-
nents call Imperialism. and them
se.ves they call AnttImperialists 4
should prefer TO call Il Nationallsm,
and them Anti-Natioralists. But
names are not important. Principles
are. And the difference between thes,
two views. one that the constitution
has created a nation of limited pow
ers. the other that nation OF I'M
limited powers has framed a constltu-
ton to direct how those powers shall
be exercised. is a very vital difference.
Republican View.
The view of the Republican party
on this question is unmistakable. 1t
was defined. as readers will remem.