Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1908-04-07
d Almond DELIVERS
SPLENDID ADDRESS

the general welfare. | am one of those
who believe that the good old Consti-
tuition, much as it merits our rever-
ence, should have some touches of the
new age. 1t came from the days OF
the stage coach the sailing vessel the
spinning wheel, the pine knot light,
the Dutch oven, the knitting needle
/ and the fintlock gun. 1t was brought
forth in primitive times, when riches
did not abound and when mighty COM
binations were unknown. Can 1t be
fully adapted to an age of steam and
electricity and prodigious wealth
We should have a convention to con-
slider and propose amendments to the
Constitution. Much direct value
would surely come out of such con-
vention, though it is difficult to amend
the Constitution that one would be a
pronounced optimist if he were to an
ticipate that very many really import
ant amendments could be carried into
it in the prescribed conventional way.
But constitutional convention would
at least serve as a clearing house for
thought upon and consideration of
most important governmental matters
1t would do more, for out of its pro-
ceedings and the interest that thew
would command much good legislation.
national and state, certainly would
come.
Speaking of the judiciary Mr.. De
| Almond said:
In my judgement, his insight was
greatest who saw in the judiciary
branch of our government the largest
element of danger to our republican
institutions. l am well aware that it
is and long has been the fashion to
view this one of the three coordinate
branches of our governmental tree
with a peculiar reverence, entirely
lacking in the inspection and contem-
plation of the other branches. the ex.
ecutive and legislative. Is not much.
! too much of that reverence the ador-
alton of blindness, the tribute of the
subdued intellect, paid through force
of habit, and not the freemind offer
ing of unfettered thought?
Il am not unmindful of the fact that
from time to time, not even excepting
this epoch in our nations history the
lines of executive authority have been
extended far. But we have come to
a time when the public mind is not
concerned so much about the extent
or the limit of executive powers as 1t
: Is about the supposed necessity for
what the executive does or attempts
in view of listless, inefficient course
of Senators and Representatives and
the rapid and menacing increase of
Judicial power, by judicial construc-
tlon. So readily and so greatly have
the judges magnified their office that
a congressional enactment is lightly
treated as unconstitutional accord.
ing to the judgment prejudice or
Whim OF the pettiest Federal Judge in
the land. Is it not enough to LET the
responsibility of nullifying the leeis.
| lative viii rest upon the Supreme
Court alone? Why not let laws he
laws until solemnly declared bv the
Supreme Court not to be laws? Wbv
not deprive every inferior court nj
the power or assumed power. TO pass
upon the constitutionality of acts n
Congress.
Turning towards conditions in Con
sress Mr.. De Almond said:
= once it was possible for few
= members of the lower hClse of Con
sress to block legislation for a 400,
while BY filB.bustering. Now, one man
the Speaker, exercises a veto powe
greater than that of the President
The Speaker enslaves majority an,
minority indefinitely. Then. no on
thought of strangling important meas
ures' but few lacked the courage t
meet issues as they arose. Now 1t
line art in legislative legerdemai
to so combine tyranny and cunning a
10 prevent, from session to session
and congress to congress, a vote /
the open upon measures which n
majority would dare to kill outrigh
Some day, perhaps, a minority mani
enough to fight steadily and resolut,
ly against the one-man power, and fo
the restoration of the rights of tn
peoples representatives. will awake t
find itself in the majority; for tn
great American people will not su
fer their faithful representatives I
be permanently or even long the vi,
tins of despotic Speaker, carryin
out despotic policy. When the OF
portunity comes to you, young gem
lemen, to deal with czarism. don