Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-06-04
che bearts Of Our Ccuntrymel,
Decoration
Delivered in Madison, 1oOS


son, may 80. 1oOSs
how far the swaddltng clothes of in
fancy will cover the mighty giants
form, whether a constitution drafted
to meet conditions Of 1887 can ever
equal the maryeIously increasing de-
mands} Of a twentieth century develop
ment. Our system of government
wisely seeks to distribute its RESPONSE
biIities."
=
Our Flag. :
Our flag that was once torn =
asunder by secession, now floats =
Ger all the land, floats over &
Porto Rico and the isles of the :
Pacific, carries protection to
Cuba and the governments Of 3
South America, was an emblem
Of peace to Japan and Russia,
was among the first to be hon
Ored at the Hague, and is the
x symbol Of universal freedom. =
X : =
Jefferson, writing to Madison at
the close Of the revolution, discovered
a weakness in the bill of rights Of
fatal consequence to permanency of
government, he declared was the en-
tire spOnsibility Of judges. How
can we expect impartial DECISIONS he
wrote, between the general govern
ment of which they are a part and an
individual state from which they
have nothing to hope or fear?'
The speaker said that the wrongs or
bred Scott and other slaves, which
failed to stir the heart thrObs Of
solemn gowned judges, at Washington,
met responsive chord with the peO-
pie Of the country. Such wrongs be-
came an inspiration to LOvejOy, Gar
rison, and John Brown. One of these
martyrs was dragged through Boston
street with a rope around his neck, a
second was shot dead by the mob and
the last hanged for the faith that was
in him. A faith in the constitutional
rights of liberty that knew no narrow
circumscribed legal definitions.
THE weakness propheticaIIy des-
cribed by Jefferson over century ago
was recently emphasized by a jul
diciaI dissenter who declared that a
majority decision of the highest court
would place the states Of the union
in a condition of inferiority never
dreamed of when the constitution was
adopted"
Thomas Jefferson set forth the
dangers he saw on powerful unre-
stricted mOnOpolies in irrespon-
sibIe courts removed from direct
contact with the BODY polite. Justice
Mclean preferred the lights of Madi-
son, Hamilton and Jay as a means of
constituting the constitution rather
than defend a traffic Of piracy, and
Justice Harlan, after calm deliberatiOn
cOurageousIy says, The majority de-
cision is inconsistent with the whole
scheme of our government
'An awakening Of public conscience
is occurring today. We struggle with
great industrial questions, with the
problems of concentrated wealth, the
abnormal power of great interests or
| the discomfort of labor and then we
see through an aroused patriotism to
|
problems through wise counsels must
be rightly solved, but more important
than mere economic questions, is the
careful adjustment Of fundamental
rights.
"Our disposition towards self-con
graduation in national affairs causes
us to ignore weaknesses of govern
mental machinery, but every part Of
the mechanism requires Watchful care
if the highest development is to be
reached by the matchless government
devised by the fathers of the republic
"On this occasion when with CRATE
! full hearts we meet to recall the deeds
of heroic men and women, and re
iOicn in a reunited country, it is pro
per to speak of other lessons WhlcE
Memorial day brings. 1t teaches pa
triotism and sacrifice, of the immor
taIitv of those who gave their lives
to it's cause, of the immortality o
nation. 1t teaches the necessity FOL
Jealous watchfulness that shall guarC
against disIOyalty and anarchisn
whether encouraged by the weak OF
strong, the rich or poor; it sounds
warning note to those who seek tt
play upon mems passions and preju
dices on the one hand, and to those
who reckIessIy ignore the rights o
the governed, on the other. 1t points
out dangerous reefs to be avoided b!
the ship Of state and the narrow pas
sage way strewn with the wrecks o
other craft. 1t imposes upon every cit
fzen hoover humble, the equal dut,
Of guarding his constitutional rights o
life, liberty and the pursuit Of happl
ness.
Memorial day reminds us that lif'
is but. a monotonous certainty Will
the greatest of earth barely attract
passing attention from future historI
ans. The individual returns to tn
dust, having earned honor and happi
ness for himself, and the gratitude o
pOsterity. if he leaves mis- small worIt
world better than he finds it. Tn
men who lie buried here have earne
the gratitude of posterity. They hav
preserved for US the government o
Madison, Jefferson and Hamilton, tn
government of the citizen soldier.
When Eliot Became HarVard's Pres