The Topeka state journal., 1908-05-26
TWO DANGERS NAMED.
Governor johnson Points Out Menace
to Republican Institutions.

Birmingham, Ala, May Ex-Governor
John A. Johnson. of Minnesota, was the
principal speaker OF the day before the
Alumni association at the commence
ment exercises at the State university
at Tuscaloosa. His subject was Land
marks of American Liberty"
In beginning his description of the
various landmarks of Americal liber
ty, he reverted to 1.500 years before the
discovery of America, because, he said,
American liberty was Graded in the
German wilderness. Anglo-Saxon free
dom had come down through the CEN
turies to. the popular assemblies which
decide the issues of peace in the Amer
lean government today. He said that
the great fact which stands out sharp
ly and clearly throughout the history
of European emigration to America is
a dominant tand X universal aspiration
for freedom. .az.
Magma Charta-aad the bill of rights,
the charters andscqnstitutions of Amer >
, lean colonies, the declaration of inde-
pendence and the articles of c0nfedera-
tiOn, the northwest ordinance Of 1887,
the constitution of the United States,
Washington's farewell address, Lin
coins Gettysburg address, the doctrine
of Monroe and the proclamation of
emancipation and last but not least the
constitutions of the forty-six states of
the American union are the milestones
and landmarks of American liberty"
he said. ~
Governor Johnson declared that the
progress of the republic is opposed by
two dangers, one is tendency Of the
federal government to a Capitalization
Of power and the assumption of SOW
erelgn powers not delegated to 1t by
the constitution and belonging to the
the power of centralized and predatory
wealth fostered by special privileges
and defiant of both the public well
fare and the law of the land.
Go Hand in Hand.
THE exercises OF these dangers is
not only contemporary he said, but in
a measure cooperative. Both threaten
the liberty and the power of the people
and the untarnished perpetuity of our
institutions. Although the profitable
development of the great industrial
trusts of today is largely due, first to
the special privileges given by the fed
eral government and specially to un-
reasonable and unjust tariff laws which
those in control OF the government re-
fuse to abolish or amend, and, second,
to gross favoritism in administration
and to law Interpretation and enforce
ment of the laws The very existence
Of these trusts is today urged as the
reason why still further powers should
be centralized in the federal govern
ment, the states deprived Of their con-
Stltut1OndI rights ana powers, ana the
guarantee Of the constitution further
encroached upon, evaded and broken
down. The inherent powers of this re-
public should not be delegated to the
federal government, but should reside in
the states and the people. They are
! the original sources of sovereignty and
yet the present administration main
tains the doctrine of inherent SOW
ereignty in the government. Today the
government of the United States de-
| MES the existence of the constitution
and it's immunity to our island terri
tories.
Shall we have a sovereign govern
ment, or sovereign states and SOW
ereign people? Shall this republic, or
ganized on the principles of the declar-
alton of independence and under the
provisions of the constitution, desert
| its cause and produce an imitation OF
| an old world empire. or shall 1t remain
| true to the principles of American
manhood and shape its destinies by the
landmarks of progressive American
! liberty? Shall we go back to the IN
stitutions and principles from which
our fathers fed or shall we stand py
those of Washington, Jefferson and Lin
| coin and maintain the integrity OF the
| republic ?''