Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-06-10

IoTms Wnether constitution drafted
to meet conditions of 1887 can ever
equal the marvelously increasing de-
mands of a twentieth century develop
ment Our system of government
wisely seeks to distribute its RESPONSE
bilities.'
- .
Our Flag.
Our flag that was once torn .
asunder by secession, now floats =
. DER all the land. floats over :
Porto Rico and the isles of the .
Pacific, carries protection to =
Cuba and the governments of "
South America, was an emblem "
of peace to Japan and Russia.
was among the first to be hon
ored at the Hague, and is the
symbol of universal freedom.
Jefferson, writing to Madison at
the close of the revolution, discovered
weakn SIS in the bill of rights. OF
fatal consequence to permanency of
government, he declared was The en-
tire responsibility or judges How
can we expect impartial decisions he
wrote, between the general govern
ment of which they are part and an
individual state from which they
have nothing to hope or feaG1?' "
The speaker said that the wrongs OF
bred Scott and other slaves. which
failed TO stir the heart throbs of
solemn gowned judges, at Washington,
met responsive chord with the peo-
pie of the country Such wrongs be-
came an inspiration to Lovejoy, Gar
rison, and John Brown One of these
martyrs was dragged through Boston
street with rope around his neck, a
second was shot dead by the mob and
the last hanged for the faith that was
in him A faith in the constitutional
rights of liberty that knew no narrow
circumscribed legal definitions
The weakness prophetically des-
cribed by Jefferson over a century ago
was recently emphasized by ju-
dicial dissenter who declared that a
majority decision of the highest court
would place the states of the union
in condition of inferiority never
dreamed of when the constitution was
adopted
Thomas Jefferson set forth the
dangers he saw on powerful unre-
stricted monopolies In irrespon-
sible courts removed from direct
contact with the bouy polite. Justice
Mclean preferred the lights of MSdi-
son, Hamilton and Jay as a means Of
constituting the constitution rather
than defend g. traffic of piracy, and
Justice Harlan, after calm deliberatior.
courageou5iy says, The majority de-
cision is inconsistent with the whole
scheme of our government
"An awakening OF public conscience
is occurring today. We struggle with
great Industrial questions. with the
problems of concentrated wealth, the
abnormal power of great interests or
the discomfort of labor and then we
see through an aroused patriotism to
minimize their Importance. These
problems through wise counsels must
be rightly solved. but more important
than mere economic questions, is the
careful adjustment Of fundamental
rights.
"Our disposition towards self-con-
graduation in national affairs causes
us to ignore weaknesses of govern
mental machinery, but every part OF
the mechanism requires watchful care
if the highest development is to be
reached by the matchless government
devised by the fathers of the republic.
''On this occasion when with CRATE
full hearts We meet to recall the deeds
OF heroic men and women. and re-
toice in a reunited country, It is pro
per to speak of other lessons which
Memorial day brings. It teaches pa
triotism and sacrifice, of the immor-
tality Of those who gave their lives
to its cause. of the immortality OF
a nation 1t teaches the necessity for
jealous watchfulness that shall guard
against disloyalty and anarchism
whether encouraged by the weak or
strong, the rich or poor; it sounds a
warning note to those who seek to
play upon llGu pfloHlClS anu ~ Vjh
dices on the one hand, and to those
who recklessly ignore the rights of
the governed, on the other, 1t point
out dangerous reefs to be avoided by
the ship of state and the narrow pas
sage way strewn with the wrecks of
other craft Ii imposes upon very cit
izen hoover humble, the equal duty
Of guarding his constitutional rights Of
life liberty and the pursuit Of happi-
ness.
Memorial day reminds us that life
is but monotonous certainty while
the greatest of earth barely attracts
passing attention from future historl-
ans. The individual returns to the
dust. having earned honor and happi-
ness for himself, and the gratitude Of
posterity, If he leaves his small world
world better than he finds IT, The
men who lie buried here have earned
the gratitude Of posterity They have
preserved for rs the government OF
Madison, Jefferson and Hamilton, the
government of the citizen soldier"
When Eliot Became HsrVard's Pres
dent.
ghortIy after the civil war Mr. Eliot