The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-04-10

SELF COVE RlNEN
FOR THE STA TEs
Is As Essential As Federal
Government Says Sen
ator Borah.

- 4
CHICAGO, April 10-Tae cele-
bration Of Appomattox nay by the
Hamilton Club in the Anditoriuni
Annex last night was made notable
4 by the presence of distinguished
SPEAKERS whose addresses were cf
=lpartieuIar interest. General Fred d.
Grant spoke brlefy upon some per:
Isonal recoliections of Appornattox,
land Secretary of War Dickinson
tchose as the subject OF his remarks
%The Progress OF Peace" Senator
William Alden Smith, OF Miehigans
land Senator William d. Borah. Of
Idaho, spoke respectively on sThe
Integrity Of the Nation" and "The
/ Integrity of the States. -
In speaking ON The integrity OF
the States. :" Senator Borah made a
strong appeal In favor oi Jealous
watehfnlness to preserve local self
government in its greatest yigor as
the surest guarantee for a sperpetu-
ity of free institutions and at the
same time emphasize the Importance
Of federal power as provided by the
Constitution.
With the utmost care, he said, An.
the, formation of our government,
there was reserved for the states
the control Of all matters OF domes-
tic concern of local interest, While
there was granted to the general
government those great ana general
powers which encompass the welfare
of all.
4 I'VE must not assume. ]" continued
the senator, I'VE must not permit
Yourselves to believe that the reser-
walton is Of less moment or less BEN
eicial to the American people than.
1.-The grant. 4 ann wen aware that
the phrase State rights mas seen
discredited in our history Ii Is as
ISOLATED with unhappy days. 1t is
a kind OF intellectual tramp recog-
nized for the last fifty yeafs mainly
at the back door of the American
statesman. But the abuse Of the
term should not lblind us to the
great and inv1olate political truth
that upon the integrity and per-
manency of the Union, that upon the
principal of local self-government
rests the perpetuity of republican.
institutions. =
The makers of the Constitution,
he said, did not grant to the general
government any powers which II is,
dangerous to exercise to the fullest
constitutional limit but while build
ing at the tc2 insisted on Keeping
sound and safe and sure the tonnda-
tion of Local self government upon
which the whole structure rests,
For what shall 1t prodt," he
continued, ito enact laws, create
commissions and unfold the autbt-
tious schemes of men who dream Of
International prestige ana power
N
unless we know what the ELECTORATE
yonder in the field, factory and
mine is doing or is willing to do.
unless We know the measure Of its
ability. the worth of its patriotism.
Responsibility alone gives strength
and initiative to citizenship, contact
with government fosters public spirit
and local rule is the great school in
which is reared and trained and
Equipped the kind Of statesmen who
take care that no harm comes to
the Republic. A government from
Washington by. commission, reduced
to Its last analysis is no different
from government by satrapies from
Rome. And simply because the peo-
tple of the states do not see at at
any particular time to exercise the
powers reserved for them, that Is in
itself no justification for the general
| government to exercise those powers.
Such doctrines are rank heresy.
The wisdom of the people may be as
fully manifested in the failure to ex-
epcise the powers Of the state In a
particular way or a particular item
as In the exercise OF that power.
Action is not always statesmaushIp.
Legislation is not always an evidence
Of sound Judgment. The belief 20
prevalent that every evil Of the sody
Ipolitic can be eradicated By an act
of congress. every virtue restored Or
augmented By the creation of q sotn-
mission, is the refined ana coaIdsd
creed Of Official egotism.v
Il swINB6RNE DIES.