Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-04-23


the functions of the other And. while
now and then IL may be that a court
of the land IN constituting the constitu-
tion may nullify section Of II. | have
the faith TO feel that the people of the
country will rise above the falllbility
serve their own rights. Our duty Is
not to criticise the executive, the legis-
lature or the judiciary.
Very recently there has come from
the highest judicial tribunal In the land
a decision OF vital interest and con-
Germ to the American people, because
1t has established principle. as stated
by one member of the court. which
would work a radical change in our
governmental system and would inau-
gurate new era In the American judi
cial system and In the relations of the
national and state governments. 1t
would enable the subordinate federal
courts to supervise and control the off,
cia action of the states as though they
were dependencies or provinces. 1t
would place the states of the Union in
condition of inferiority never dream
ed of when the constitution was adopt
ed or when the eleventh amendment
was made q part of the supreme law
of the land" If this is the result of
this decision, 1t is, to my mind. one of
the unhappy incidents in the history of
our republic. because the very theory
of our government is based upon the
right of the states to control absolutely
their own domestic affairs.
Ii, then, our whole system Of gov
eminent is changed, have we not only
retarded the progress Of the republic,
but have we not gone back century
toward a centralized form of govern
the people? What this government
needs Is not more power. What 1t
needs today Is to so distribute the
privileges under the government that
all citizens will have equal opportunity.
America has been called the land of
opportunity, but American opportunity
should not mean granting of special
privileges to any class, but should af-
ford all alike the means for culture. ed
ucation, prosperity and contentment.
For nearly a century and Il half
America has presented to the world
the spectacle of happy. prosperous
and intelligent people maintaining a
pure democracy founded upon their SUI
preme will. The hallmark OF de-
mocracy is that the powers Of gov
eminent are close to the people.
Throughout the world wherever de-
mocracy is advancing its progress is
marked by a greater measure Of self
government to each community. VIII
the American people turn TO the set
ting rather than the rising sun? Snail
we now because some laws are found
irksome by a class and interfere with
their selfish aims commence TO de
prive our sovereign states OF that meas
ure OF home rule which until now they
have seen fit to reserve 10 themselves?
] cannot believe it. Upon the contrary,
] believe that the limitations upon state
and federal governments, the nice bal
ancing OF the powers Of each and of
the different departments in each,
which have been so efficacious in the
past. will be maintained in their full
vigor in the future.
Therefore, discharging all of our re-
sponsibilities as citizens Of country,
refusing to surrender our rights of citi-
zenship in any degree. let us so live
that the heroism exemplified on this
and other American battlefields may
not be simply a tradition and the ma
tional wisdom of our forefathers
mere legend. but that through us and
those TO come America will reach her
full destiny in the permanent estab
lishment OF perfect union which
shall be not for today or for tomorrow.
but forever. and be SO established that
1t will be for all of the people and that
their government shall rot perish.