Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-15
Jefferson Day Address MaG3
in New York Warns
Against EnCroaChment of
Centralized Federal Power

O6illt dIlZGU | Gu6l I'll | wv u
NEW YORK, April 12.-The
American people are on the TIRES
hold Of great struggle of the states
to regain their lost rights and to re-
tain their present ones against the
increasingly inSistent encroachments
of centralized federal power, at Va
rience with American policy, Gov
ernor Albert G. Richie. of Mary
land, declared tonight before the
jefferson Day banquet of the Ma
tional Democratic club.
The Struggle to keep American
ideals and TO preserve American in
StitutiOnS against latter-day mlSuSeS
and Interpretations ONerShadOW-
ed all other issues, he said, since no
high purpose, either at home or
abroad. ever has been or can be ac-
complished by America, except
through those ideals and institu-
tons"
Governor Ritchie was On@ Of the
principal speakers at the clubs ban
quet which is held annually on the
anniversary of the birth of Thomas
jefferson, which this year is Sunday
Other speakers who addressed the
diners in the Hotel Commodore We're
Governor George S. Silzer, of New
Jersey; John w. Davis, former am
bassador to Great Britain, and j.
Bruce Kramer, national committee
man from Montana. Many Demo-
cratic members of both houses or
con Gress were present.
Nl,0 c-irJ inc n q
strength of the institutions conceived
in the eighteenth century. by the
American founders, pointed out that
during the nineteenth century, which
saw the United States attain ascend
ancy in manifold aspects of its
national life, and during which the
country developed into the greatest
nation in the world, no amendment
was made to the constitution save
the three which followed the War
Between the states.
Old Beliefs Retained
From 1904 until 1913, he said,
Americans retained the belief that
that nation is best governed which
is least governed and that its ma
tional unity and national harmony
were possible only so long as the ma
ton kept within the limits of its do
main and left the states free within
the limits of theirs"
Later, the governor went on, laws
were enacted and constitutional
amendments adopted (which one by
one are eating into the very heart
of the American nation because
they are breaking down the SOW
ereignty of the American state and
substituting for that sacred thinS
an incompetent, eXtraVa CANT, un-
American control radiatinS from
Washington"
The situation has arisen, he con-
tinuea, partially because it was pos
sible for the majOrities in the legls-
latures of thirty-siX states to impose
their will on the nation. The vote
of 2,316 members of these bodies,
he said, could write into the consti-
tuition any amendment they choose
to ratify without any appeal to the
people for that action.
And these legislators, with rare
exceptions, he said, were ''harassed
by the threats and Establishments Of
organized minOrities until their will
and their sense of right crumple and
fall helpless to the ground.
IF ! had my way, there is one
constitutional amendment which
should be adopted, and none other
should be considered until that be-
came part of our organic law. 1T is
an amendment which would provide
that no further amendments to the
constitution should be made unless
each state is given the right to a
referendum to the people upon the
action of its legislature in ratifying
any proposed amendment"
The federal government, he main
tanned, has lsurped powers right
fully belonging to the states and
susceptible to better, more efficient
and more economical administration
by them and has invaded the peck
etbOOks of the taxpayers.
A message Of regret was received
from Franklin D. Roosevelt, Demo
cratic candidate for the vice presi
dency at the last election.
ROOseVelt'S Telegram
Telegraphing from Long Key,
Fla, he assured the club Il have
not seen nor associated with Messrs.
Daugherty, Slemp or Ned Mclean,
but have confined my social visits
to William Jennings Bryan, and
Willie II. Kelly and Norman Mack"
since the ClND war, Sdiu MI.
ROOsevelt's message, the Democratic
administrations had been untouched
by governmental scandal, while the
Republican ones of Johnson. Grant.
Hayes. Arthur, Mckinley and Taft
had been 50 marred
In an address bristling with refer
ences to the recent disclosures at
Washington Governor SiIzer, o.
New Jersey, called the c.. o. ?. the
party OF graft, oil and politics"
lie sat- the thinking citizens OF
the nation had their minds fixed on
two things; Tax reduction and
house cleaning. and that they We're
ready to discard a government by
best minds" for a government by
honest minds
Democracy, he asserted, must
dedicate itself to the task of re
storing government to the hands Of
the honest people of this country,
for it is clear that those who are
prOfiting at the expense of others,
who are enjoying special privileges,
who are being OYer-prOtected, who
are grating upon the country, are
perfectly content with the present
administration"
NO one objects TO big business
ana lots of it" said Governor Sill
ger we do. however. object 10
crooked business which reaches
crooked hands into almost every de