Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-09-26

about taking on ten times that value
in public utilities. But there - no
occasion to discuss the detatis OF puo-
lie ownership.
THE government of the United
States is . device for maintaining In
.perpstuity the rights OF the people.
with the ultimate extinction OF All
privileged classes. 1t - CONSTITUTION
which ID the product Of human expert
ence with all its toll and suffering. It's
bloodshed and devastation. its oppres.
sion and tyranny. but likewise with All
its wisdom, its love Of liberty and It's
determination to follow the truth. Inc
First Continental Congress met to re-
dress grievances which were the re-
suit Of government action. The revo-
luton was fought to resist those same
grievances. And finally. the constItu-
tion was adopted to prevent similar
impositions from ever agin being IN
hicted upon the people.
All There
"They are al in that precious docu-,
ment. these priceless guarantees. The
people do not propose again TO entrust
their government to others. but TO re-
tain it under their own control. No one
can tax them or even propose tax
upon them save themselves and their
own representatives. Instead of en-
croaching upon local assemblies. 1t
guarantees each state Republican
form of government 1t regulates sus-
pension of the writ Of habeas corpus.
1T protects the home from the unln-
vited intrusion of the military force OF
the government. 1t guards the right
| of jury trial and undertakes to make
judicial officers Independent. impartial
and free from every motive to follow
any influence save that Of the evil
dence, the law and the truth. These
are representative of the great body
of our liberties. Of which the consti-
| tuition is the sole source and guarantee.
! a Limited Government
"Ours, as you know. is a government
of limited powers. The Constitution
confers the authority for certain ac-
tions upon the President and the Con-
gress, and explicitly prohibits them
from taking other actions. This is
| done to protect the rights and liber-
ties of the people. The government Is
limited. only the people are absolute.
Whenever the legislative or executive
power undertakes to overstep the
bounds Of it's limitations. any person
who is injured may resort to the
courts for protects ion and remedy. We
do not submit the precious rights Of
| the people to the hazard of a preju-
diced and irresponsible political deter
| animation, but preserve and protect
1 them by an independent and impartial
| judicial determination. We do not ex-
/ pose the rights Of the weak to the
danger of being overcome in the public
! forum by. popular uproar. but protect
them in the sanctity Of the courtroom.
where the still. small voice will not
! fail to be heard. Any attempt to
change this method of procedure is an
| attempt to put the people again in
/ jeopardy of the impositions and the
| tyrannies from which the First Con-
| tinental Congress sought to deliver
| them. The only position that Ameri-
| cans can take is that they are against
| all despotism whether it emanate from
1 II monarch, from parliament, or from
| mob.
almost all our history as an inde-
| pendent and united nation can he
| traced back to the assemblies OF the
First Continental Congress. which We
are met to celebrate. Our achieve
ments have been wrought by adherence
| to its policies Of reason and restraint,
accompanied by firmness and deter
mination. We are not likely to desert
| that course of action now.
| Unanswerable
|
| was unanswerable. One side or the
other must give way or maintain it's
position by force of arms. That con-
fiict for which the congress had laid
| the logical foundation was not long
in beginning. Liberty never won n
more substantial and far-rea ching vic
tory than that which resulted from our
Revolutionary War. 1t established the
American nation. with all it has since
meant in the accomplishments of the
world and all that it holds of future
promise. A form of government was
organized in harmony with what
kranklin had proposed at Albany in
| 1854. But the Constitution was not
adopted until various experiments with
unavoidable systems showed some such
action necessary. Whatever may he
the reputation of that great instrument
at home modified and adapted to local
needs it has been adopted as the funda-
mental law for republics in every
quarter of the world. The influence of
that great document. framed in Phil
adelphia in 1897, can be traced in ev-
cry constitution on earth. from China
! TO Peru. from the Australian, Com
monwealth to the German Republic.
! They all bear the same testimony"