New-York tribune., 1919-09-18
Rates 1t Next Only to Revo-
luton as the Act of a 3
Per Gent Minority Using
Force Upon the Majority
Cheers Greet His Speech
Addresses Audience on
l32d Anniversary of
Signing of Organic Law

Hall last night at celebration OF tne
132d anniversary Of the signing Of the
Constitution of the United States, de-
clared that the written Constitution
limits the powers of the men who gov
ern and that this is the vital preserver
of American liberty.
The large audience broke into vol
ume of applause and cheers, exceeding
in duration and noise all the other
demonstrations of the patriotic occa-
sion, when the speaker said:
"No king By any name among free
people!
Give to any man in this free land
a great office-call him mayor, gov
ernor or general or presdent-so long
as by virtue of that office he is ad-
minstering the law; so long as he
speaks the voice of the law he is your
superior and mine as the representa-
tive of law, of our law; but the mo-
ment he passes the limit of that law
full power which is limited by the Con-
stitution, that moment he is our equal
and not our superior"
Root Attacks Boston Strike
Continuing Mr.. Root said: "In that
great army. which crowded across the
Atlantic and went to the battle line in
France, composed of incomparably the
best military material in the world,
the vital and conspicuous element of
strength was the independence of in
dividual manhood that came from
seif-respectng life in free America
Nothing can defend liberty but the
character of the people who deserve to
be free. and nothing can preserve the
character of independent manhood eX-
cept that limitation upon the power
OF all officers of all governments which
is imposed by the Constitution that we
meet here tonight to celebrate"
Mr. Root characterized the Boston
police strike as challenge to the Con-
stitution. He said:
we cannot maintain this Constitu-
t.un without insisting upon it's being
.oilowed. We cannot maintain it by
laughing at those who try to make a
toi;e cee II. We cannot maintain it by
being tolerant and liberal and indif-
ielcnt toward those who attack it, We
must stand for it when it is challenged.
And it is being challenged to- day. here
AID there III hundred directions.
Strike Challenges Constitution
"Mos. noticeably it is challenged by
The police strike in Boston now. That
raises distinctly the question whether
our system Of government represented
IL t.is Constitution is TO be abandoned
Ct not. This Constitution provides for
free. popular government. Under it
we have Il democracy in which all the
people have their part in government.
Every officer legislative, executive, ju-
dicial, military, is the servant Of all
;ho psople-not of any class, not of
any group, not Of any calling, not OF
any race, not Of any religion, but all.
And that is fundamental to our democ-
rasyy: :.
Boston mean? 1t means that the men
who have been employed and have
taken their oaths to maintain order and
suppress erin as the servants Of all the
people are refusing to perform that
solemn duty unless they are permitted
to ally themselves, affiliate themselves
become members of a great organi2a-
tion which contains perhaps 3 per cent
of The people. Now If that is done
that is the end. except for revolu-
ton. Government cannot be maintained
unless it has the power to use force.
"fhe proNisio ional government of Rus
sa, composed Of good and patriotic
men who were doing their best to give
the people Of Russia an opportunity tC
set up their own government by uni
versai suffrage. had not the force. had
not the power to use force. and Lenine
and Trotzky and their associates came
along, and with them German money
and he ped by German agents, got to
gethcr force that was willing to xii
to accomplish their purpose, and they
set Themselves up in the place of tht
Gar. and are ruling now. The people
Of Russia ale deprived Of the oppor
.unty TO rule now as much as they
were when the Gar was there, because
these men got control by the force o.
arms, and If the power to use force
whole people of the United States. o
from the 100 per cont of the who'll
people Of the United States to th
organization of per cent. the 81 pc
cent are 10 longer a self governing
people
The effects may not come today 0
Tomorrow, vat that the effects of tn
passing Of power to enforce laws, tn
power to punish crime, the power I
maintain order from the whole peopl
OF the United States to one section O
people OF the United Statcs--the efFec
OF that is as certain to come in destroy
ing the liberties OF the whole aud sub
lecting taem to the part rs sunrise
sure % come to- morrcw.
Ready to Preserve Institutions
"rhaNk Heaven, those millions .
Young mcA wao Vent abroad to tigh
Tor their country have come back bet
tcr patriots, more fitted Tor the dut
OF citizenship, more determined to pr,
serve oe NDe.,y and peace than eve
bofore. Chunk Heaven. the spirit g
fh0 recy. o. the United States. avail
cred ~ tNe trials and sacrifices O
thesc scent Year are more ready tina
over sine the eAtiest days to do what
ever tEcsr country needs Ger the prosc,
Natioi. .. ..s Institutional
to0stitst.ro Day wss marked b
drmonsFr, roA, and cxere 'scs through
cut the sit, yesta4day.
Broad A'.d WI st' cots eve choke
ut Noo. Yl.a p ~at6e..ns that face
the htc.zo statue Il Washington on IN
steps Il ,ns Sub Treasury and lstcne
to patriotic sddrcsSes. At th, close ,
the exercises the crowd stood with III
covered beads while the Police Gle
Club sang The ar-Spane,ed Banner
About 700 inember> OF thc Sons
the American Revolution. led by Il fl
and drum corps, marched from the
headquarters. at ESQ Broadway. to ii
sub Treasury to participate in the cel,
bration. They we're leading q procc
sion of several thousands. Many Wa
Street clerks and stenographers T.
turned 20 work without their luncl
cons, having spent their recess eel
brating Constitution DAY.