The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-08-13
JEFFERSON VERSUS ROOSEVELT

Returning to the subject of President
RooSevelt'S interference and meddling IN
elections for the purpose of eliminating
from the membership Of the Congress al
but radical puppets who will Obedlently
do his bidding when the central govern
again from the writings of Congressman
Pettmgill Of Indiana, the second of Sc
ries Of articles published in this newspaper
in which is discussed this subject of fed
Congressman Pettingill quotes from a
letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1898
this paragraph:
When embarked in the government, it
with a determination to intermeddle not at all
with the legislature As | never had the desire
TO influence the members (of cOngress),
neither had | any other means than my friend
ships, which value too highly to risk by usur-
patton on their freedom of judgment, and the
conscientious pursuit of their own sense of duty"
Commenting on the foregoing, Congress-
man Pettingill wrote this:
Would that we had more JetfersOns in Wash
wing of the party the promoters of the purge"
Their doctrine is that the governmental at Wash
ingtuu may seek to control through it's financial
power and patronage not only general elections,
but even primary elections and conventions for
nominating and therefore, controlling candidates
for public office, not only at Washington, but in
state capitols and city halls
This doctrine however disguised, is based
-. pah a ,bota, ,nSls
it is necessarily predcated on the view that the
people in the states incapable of self-govern-
anent or that Washington does not want their
Nrlf-government. 1t is species of treason to-
ward the very heart of democracy. 1t is knife
Ia the back of the American constitution.
1t is a plan. OF if not deliberately planned, it
rwill have the inevitable effect of destroying the
independence of congress and the independence
of the states | will go further and say it will
destroy the states such.
Let US see what a breach of constitutional
morality this is. To begin with, of ali the rights
Of the States-and of the human beings who
live in the states-the independence of their
electorate and the freedom of their elections is
the most vital of all. From them is derived the
consent of the governed'-the heart of democ-
racy, if it is a free consent.
The state can exist as such only through its
elections. If it cannot control its elections
il cannot exist-as state. Federal control of
its ballot box, if successful, will destroy it
government as surely as would an armed force
sent out from Washington.
These men knew that the right to vote comes
from the state, not from Washington. They
knew that whoever controls the voters controls
,the state. They knew that if Washington
;troS elections it will destroy institutions and
iour constitutions. 1t will destroy state constitu-
,tions as well as the federal constitution. 1t will
'change the republic into modern empire, with
all the evils of ancient empires
An attempt by the executive branch of the
federal government to control the choice of SEN
ators is entirely destructive of the very struc-
ture, purpose and constitutional functions of the
senate The same is equally true with respect to
the house of representatives.
In this connection let us examine few
pertinent facts:
Taking North Carolina as an example
(the same constitutional principles appl.
and govern in all of the States) citizens o
this State do not hold the right of suffrag
from the federal government. Voting is
State function, under State laws, and don
according to the geographical boundarie
Of the States This applies with equa
force to the election of State officials AM
members of the federal Congress. Con
greSSmen from North Carolina in Wash
ington represent, first of all, the people o
their several districts, and then the peOpl
of North Carolina as a whole.
United States Senators are the direc
Representatives of the State. Representa-
ton in the lower house is based on popula
ton: representation in the Senate is base