Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-01-13


national life. If Monroe made the
United States the dominant power OF
the western world in, international
affairs, Webster by convincing the
North that the Federal union was in
finitely more than compact between
sovereign states, made inevitable the
result at Appomatox.
1.-THE fame of the svigor and efh-
cheney of the new republic also had
then become world wide and our
form of government was the model of
all peoples seeking self-enfranchise-
ment. The nations, however. since
then have been quite largely revolu-
tionized and transformed, and the re-
publics of Europe existing as organ
lied governments before, whether
ephemeral or permanent, which have
resulted from the great war, have not
followed US, and among other depar-
lures have made their form of gov
eminent directly and Immediately re-
sponsible to the will of the people as
expressed at the polls. In the de-
velopment of the law of the land we
have had many beneficent and COM
prehensive enactments demanded by,
and well adapted to the needs of our
expanding industrial and commercial
conditions, as we'll as to the promo
ton of the general welfare. The ex-
tension of the police power whose
, final bounds, if any. have yet to be
delimited, the widening of the terms
of the 14th amendment. and the ap-
plication of statutes. both Federal
and State, for the regulation and con-
| troll of intrastate and interstate traf-
fic. present realms of judicial inquiry
never entered by Parsons, Parker,
Mellen and Weston, and which are
still in process of exploration.
I'VE enjoyed to the close of the
18th century unexampled peace and
prosperity, seriously interrupted only
by the short period of the Civil War.
The opening decade of the Goth
century saw no substantial change.
but promised fruition of centuries of
aspiration and of effort for the at
tainment of universal peace and good
will. The first half of the second
decade had not passed before this
hope was irretrievably shattered, and
the march OF events forced us into a
catastrophe conflict which tested the
working power of our system of gov
eminent to the uttermost. The pos
tive reaction from the stress and
abnormal conditions caused by the
conHlct have made the years since
the great war closed a period of gen.
eral unrest and discomfort, and gov
eminent by constitutional democ-
racy. while the process of readjust-
ment and reconstruction is under
way, is being challenged We can
not escape from the influence of in
ternatlonal relations, or of propa-
ganda having their origin in foreign
lands. The nation is disturbed by
constant clamor for notifications
voiced in many tones, which, how
ever phrased, or however plausible,
tend Enthusiastically to a gradual sub
stltution of a government of men for
the system devised by the founders,
and expounded by Marshall and his
successors. A view OF human affairs
which looks upon our Constitution as
originally framed to have been fitted
for all eXigencies and all develop
ments of a newborn nation, un-
doubtedly is superficial. But even if
growth is the law of life and this
great instrument as it stands today
with only 10 amendments during 1913
years has lost none of it's vitality and
is still capable of necessary enlarge
ment, organic principles of govern
ment ought not to be subject to fire.
quent and radical experiments, all
though economic and social condi-
tons which possibly may become
even more distasteful and onerous.
press heavily on the body polite. It
is for the American people, acting in
accordance with the procedure of
their own creation not only to amend
or add to their Constitution, but also
to do away with fundamental COM
mon law. But until this has been ac-
complished, fractional attempts to
override or set aside the operation of
the laws should meet with prompt
pubic disapproval. The members of
the bar whose influence in affairs of
government should be potent. can
perform no greater public service
than to make plain that commercial
distress and economic inequalities
cannot be eradicated, or general pros
perity restored by the mere enact
ment of statutes or the revision of
constitutions. And that the protec-
tlon OF equal laws and of due process
OF law should not be bartered for anv
or sthe novel doctrines, more or less
fashionable, with which the electorI
ate Is afflicted and urgently solicited
to adopt.
The courts. to which in d;vers
ways resort is had in the hope of oh !
tanning some measure of relief for iIls
Oh trade and of industry which can
only be alleviated and finally over
come oy the exercise of the home
spun virtues of. patient toll, thrift.
economy and right thinking, have hut
one safe, and in the end, sound st.rd.
ara OF guidance. 1t is, impartiallv to
oeciare and apply the law. without
evasion or apology. The storm sie-
hais may be at times disconcertino
and portentous. but we are not drift
ing on to lee shore. The comma nd
OF TINS splendid centenary which has
passed beyond the reach of destr,ot
I've cavll, is: to go forward The fu-
lure peckons to even larger fields ard
10 greater achievements. While we
unquestionably behold the breaking
up and remoulding of empires and