The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-02-05

England show more Christianity, more
children, a better observance of the
Sabbath, less drunkenness and less
graft before we sit humbly at her feet
for instruction. We might have learn
ed much from the New England of
the pilgrim fathers, but We can learn
little OF value from the New England
of their back-slidden children.
But it may be said that We must
change our views OF the relative pow
ers of the state and federal govern
ments. This is not the time for that.
II is true our picturesque president
has assured the country that I'VE need
| through executive action, through leg
/ islative action and through judicial in
! depreciation and construction of law,
to increase the power of the federal
government" but at the risk of invOl-
untary initiation into the AnaniaS
club, or classification with the unde-
sirable citizen, we are bound 10 tell
! him such talk is tantamount to peril
DIV to his official oath. He swOre TO
support the constitution, not to stretch
it, and secession against the cOnstitu-
ton is worse than secession against
the Union, for the Union draws its
! life from the constitution. The Union
without the constitution is not the fed
eral Union, but the organized tyranny
of an INSCRIPTIONS majority doing as
they list with the rights of the minor
! ity. If the federal government re-
| quires more power to fulfill its mis-
sion under the conditions of the pres
ent day. there are easy and constitu-
tional ways of giving to it such, power,
but it does not belong to the execu-
tive, legislative or judicial branches
OF the government to fitch power from
the states or from the people, even
though they purloin it in order to
lay it in the way of the federal gov
eminent.
Centralized Government
But does the federal government
need so much more power? 1t is said
that there is going on in our country
a perilous concentration of wealth in
the hands of few. Suppose we cen
/ tralize the government at the same
/ time this process of concentration is
going on, and that eventually the con-
! centrated wealth seizes the centraliz-
ed government. What then would be-
come of the rights of the people?
/ What would be done would simply be
a quotation of what might be desired
by the man welding the immense
! combination of financial and political
power. If they failed to find prece-
dents for their usurpations they could
plead the illustriOus example of our
/ present president, and call for the en-
! largement of the powers of the feder-
al government by executive action,
Legislative diction," or judicial in
! depreciation" and construction of
law" Doubtless, however, they would
not stop for even that much formality
of law. Under the lead of the presi-
dents rough-riding example the limit
of their power would be only the limit
of their desires.
| This is certainly not the time for
the south to cease contending for the
strict observance of the constitutional
limitations imposed upon the federal
government. A suTTeptitiOUs revOlu-
ton is proposed, and it must be resist
ed as vigorously as if it were an arm
ed force attempting openly to subvert
1.-THE government Let us stand sOlidly
against it. and if any other section
wishes to stand with us we shall not
|, object But if any other section OF
the country invites us to abjure our
,, devotion TO the fundamental princi-
; pies of the government in order to OBJ
tain political spoils in the form of Of.
, fees and appropriations let us give
them to understand that neither we
nor our fathers have been accustomed
b. so accept brides.
Sound Tariff Views
II should also be said that our long
established view of the tariff is not
+ 10 be surrendered. With possibly one
+. avceDfiOn rhp professors of DOlitical
b economy in every respectable college
3 and university in America tthe eX
- perts on this subject unite with us
/ in our mwavering opposition to pro
= lection. I am not sure that there is
one exception, but I understand that
/ in the University of Pennsylvania
? the heresy of protection is entrench
/ ed. The location of such instruction
p discloses its inspiration. Why should
] We renOunce what is demOnstrably