The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-10
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 James from his throne did so in x the name of liberty and they who sought to restore the Stuart dynasty be- lieved in divine right, preached passive obedience and were the party of prerog- ative. But a long lease of power made the whigs the champions of prerogative, while the tories preached liberty In even more fervid periods than John Hampden himself. As Bolingbroke put it. Liberty has been no more than a cry, and the cause of liberty has been as little regard ed by those leaders who gave it out to their followers as the cause of St. George or St. Denis was concerned in the battles of the English and the French"
 And to that complexion is American politics come in the second decade of the second century of the constitution of the United States. One set loudly proclaim Jefferson and Jackson, though they have as vague conception of what the illus trious sage and the heroic soldier stood for as a "crowner's quest lawyer has of Coke on Littleton. The other set are equally delirious, and almost as vocifer- ous. in lip service to Hamilton and Lin coin, who would say, Get thee behind me. Satan." to their disciples" of the present day were they reincarnate
 The terms democrat and "repub- lican," as they relate to party politics in 1908, are meaningless. If the leader of one party should declare for an established church that party would accept it, and if the leader of the other party should advocate ex post facto laws and bills of attainder they, too, would go into the platform. Both are agreed in one thing-that the constitution is anti quated and worthless, that ours is an empire and no longer a republic, and that the American Congress, like the Brit ish parliament, has power to do what ever the majorities of the two Houses regard as expedient-if the executive so orders or will so permit. At Agncourt the English cried "St. George and vc- tory as they smote the enemy, while the chivalry of France cried, '.St. Denis to the rescue" as they fell like grain before the sickle under the deadly arrows of the opposing bowmen. Not one in hundred knew, or cared. anything about either saint, and the battle of the bal lots in this country will be fought next November without one in one thousand of the combatants knowing, or caring, what either campaign cry of republican" or democrat is means.
 The republicans will hold their con- ,vention first, make a radical platform and nominate progressive. Then the demo- crats will hold their convention, make bnore radical platform and nominate socialist There will be a great throwing Iabout of eloquence From 10000 stumps h0.0oo Quintus Curtiues will hurl them- hselves into the yawning surf, and pity 'tis they will not be able to do 1t physically ias well as metaphorically. Gods patience will be abused by 10 times 10000 shriek- irgs of My country. o. how she bleeds!' and that, too. when the, corporeal con- dition of the country was never so II. . 4l.cfrx 1 Ing the regiment of quacks who are billing 1t and lancing it and bistering it.
 There are all too few doctrinaires in public 1ife-men who prefer to be right than to hold office men like the late Henry G. Turner, who refused unanimous examination and unanimous election to Congress for opinions sake. The country is in sore need of a crop of statesmen like l.. o. C. Lamar who voted his con- viction in the Senate contrary to the in structions of the legislature of his state and contrary to the wishes of more than 90 per cent of the popular electorate of his state. His reward came, and speed ilv- He never before had the respect and confidence of his people to the degree he commended after he took counsel of his conscience in defiance of popular clamor. we have too many men in authority in our country swift to release Barabbas on demand of the mob.
 Samuel W. Mccall is a scholar, a thinker, publicist, and a statesman. He reflects before he acts and takes coun- seI of his convictions. He believes that the constitution of the United States is the charter under which the federal estab- ljshment is authorized to act, and that the powers reserved to the states are as binding on the nation as the delegates powers are restrictions on the states. Thus he is a states rights man, thought his construction of the constitution is very different from the Interpretation put upon that instrument by William l.. Yancey or Alexander II. Stephens. MT. Mccall is a republican. but conservative. He Is classed as a reactionary by the hot-gos- pelers. and so are all designated who keep the commandments of the earlier paragraphs of Exodus xxill, and most ex- cellent democratic doctrine 1t Is, as de- 1nocracy was interpreted prior to 1S96-
 Pennsylvania gave Blaine to Maine and Mccall to Massachusetls ls-botb of Scotch Irish parentase. on thel fathers side, at ieaSt believe . Mcca1 commanded the Pennsylvania HpcktailS of the army of E