The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1918-07-05

confiscated the real property, but
they confscated the personal proper
ty. The harridans of the streets
went about wearing the fnery of la
dies. The unshaven reformers NOV
ed into the homes of other men.
Sometimes they ordered it sold and
bought it in themselves. They, too
had administrators who administered
IN summary way upon the proper
ty OF other people. 1t was this de-
regard for law and fundamental
rights that destroyed the Republic.
Those things brought 'the man on
horseback. Those things finally re-
established the monarchy in France,
because the people came to learn
that any government that made life
and property secure was to be prefer
red to any government that plumber
ed the people at will and that itself
engaged in robbery and thievery. For,
mark YOU. government can be a
thief as we'll as an individual. Just
as the soul of man abhors the
wretch who takes the property of
another man at the point of pistol,
so does the conscience Of man revolt
at any government that takes from
a citizen his property, except it be
for a public purpose and upon just
and fair compensation.
l said the other day in substance
what | am going to say now, and
with this | shall close what | nave
to say about this bill and its purpose.
All ove, this world in every land
there is a propaganda being secretly
preached. 1t is the propaganda of
anarchy and socialism coupled with
anarchy. 1t is a propaganda that
proposes to destroy the solemnity of
OF judicial decree. 1t is propaganda
that proposes to set up the will CT
men temporarily in power as superior
tc the principles of constitutions and
of laws. When that propaganda is
in full force and effect and when II
earning SO a day in war times finds
himself reduced to S. or 81 q day,
and realizes that he must come to a
lower level Of living. when indeed,
in some cases there will be actual
want, when the pinch of poverty
comes, this feeling of unrest will
grow until it will be a thing that must
be carefully and patiently dealt with.
pie are superior to written corstitu
tions, or courts, and to law" and
they will interpret their own desires
and passions as the rights of the peo-
pie. In that day, which, I believe
will come, ] hope we can say to all
misguided people who may then arise
tories are closed, as they must close,
and when the man who has been
hard industrial conditions that are
certain to follow this war when fac
has matured and aggravated by the
the old Constitution has survived ev~
The cry that will BE- upon the lips
of the propagandists who will then
be preaching the doctrine of the |.
w. W., the doctrine of the anarchist
will be chat the rights of the peo-
cry attack; even during the stress of
great world war. though often
tempted, we maintained its sacred
principles; it stands now. as it always
has, the citadel of human liberty.
This is a government of law and not
government of mobs. This is al
government Of constitutions and not
a government of men. This is gov
ernment based upon principle and not
upon caprice and passion and venom
and hatred and eager desire to rob !
and plumber. So we plant ourselves
upon the Constitution and say that
it shall be maintained.
That is the argument I hope to
make. But what shall I say if the !
leader of the mob can hurl back in |
our teeth the statement, Behold. |
when there was little stress when !
there was no suffering, when there !
was. no hunger you in the Senate of /
the United States treated the Con- |
stitution as a rope of sand, binding
upon no one. Ycu treated it as a !
worthless scrap Of paper, not entitled !
TO the respect even of the men who |
had solemnly sworn to maintain it
sacred and inviolate," What shall !
clamoring, declaring that the Consti-
tuition should be set aside or ignored |
if we ourselves have established the
fatal precedent?
There never was a time in the his
tory of this world when those who
believe in established governments
ought to so carefully guard the Con-
stitution of liberty. There never
was a time in this Republic, the only !
real republic there is on earth, ought |