The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-04-11

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1 of their wealth and power have an in
fuence far greater than that possessed
by the average citizen. -, And SO the
constitutions Of the United States was
regarded by its trainers as an instru-
ment OF the most sacred import, IN
Ealteration. OF which could only = be
made by the people themselves In
whom all ultimate power is vested,
| and then only after the fullest dts-
cussion and widest publicity.
"Under the heneficient government
SO established the nation has pros-'
pered and the people are happy. One
great cloud came upon the nation In
the form Of an awful civil war, in
which two sections of the country
were in conflict with each other. The
heroes who rest here gave their lives
that this nation might be maintained
asIt came from our forefathers. On
another battlefield Of that war, Abra-
ham Lincoln said: 1T is for us, the
living, rather, to be dedicated to the
unfinished work they have thus far
so nobly carried on. 1t is rather for
us to be here dedicated to the great
task remaining before us; that from
these honored dead we take increased
devotion for that cause for which they
here gave the last full measure Of de-
votion; that we highly resolve that
those dead shall not have died in
vain; that the nation shall, under God,
have new birth of freedom, and that
the government Of the people, by the
|people, for the people, shall not perish
from the earth. =.
"Shall we not today consecrate our
selves for the further perpetuation Of
Ithe principles of American liberty,
and constitutional form of govern
ment, purchased at the cost Of the
blood OF the patriots? In this hour,
when there seems to be a. disposition
to depart from the established forms,
lWhen' there seems to be desire upon
the part of those in authority to
|abide in a central bureaucracy, rather
than in representative democracy
lit becomes you and me to protest
tagainst any departure whatsoever
from the government which came to
us from the constitutional convention
Of 1887, and those amendments which
have been. made to it by specific, will
stof the people. = -. = -
E.%sour concern is not of the past, nor
wholly with the. present, but much
with the future. If the destiny of the
|republic is in the hands Of the Amer.
lean people of today, then 1T becomes
him to be guided and governed only
by patriotic impulse and the desire to
do that which will most largely con-
tribute to the permanency of the re-
publican* institutions. Advancing our
civilization - SO that we. will not, by
recognizing the false claims of selfish
interests. and forgetting the American
maxim that our object should be to
attain the greatest good for the great
est number, incur the penalty which
other people have paid, rather let us
hold ever in mind that those who
formed our government believed in
=: the equality of the people and that
the chief aim Of government is TO
maintain that equality. -
Under our system of government
the nation has reached a material de-
|velopment hitherto unknown. The
people have prospered beyond the
dreams of those who have lived a CEN
tury ago. But with the DEVELOPMENT
OF the country and changes in econ-
omic conditions, and particularly with
the growth of great private corpor-
at1ons, performing many of the func-
tlons Of government, has come the
necessity for the exercise Of strict
government control, and rigid en-
fofcement of all the laws enacted to
restrain the rich and. powerful from
encroaching upon. the. natural and
legal rights of the poor and weak.
The marvellous foresight Of the
fathers Of this country In: framing the
constitution of the United States is
shown by the fact that i'm spite of all
the changes which have occurred In
industrial and economic: conditions, in
spite Of the unexpected expansion ot
the country, the constitution has been
found sufficiently flexible to meet
every emergency which has arisen
Let US remember this, for the danger
OF today is that the American people
may be lulled into q false security.
and yielding to the demands Of self
1sh interests, permit, the &. breaking
down of constitutional provisions, un-
DER which the American people have
ATTAINED this wonderful degree Of ma >
terial prosperity and have yet main
tanned the Individual. liberty of the
citizen. *. -" :
The constitution Of the ancient re-
public OF Rome, which for 500 years
mad recognized the voice Of the peo-
pie as supreme, was expanded by exc
cutive Interpretation and contracted
|ny executive administration, until
Rome had so completely outgrown Its
democratic conditions as to become
only tragedy and a: tradition. Lei
Ins implore the aid OF Him on hiRh
to preserve US from the errors which
ruined Rome, by, the avoidance OF
which America may travel on to that
destiny and realize that fulnllment
thinking men Of all the ages vet to
come. ss ss. .s. 49, .',sT.
Our government is divided into
three separate and distinct co -ordin-