12 Conservative *
the general welfare , and secure the
blessings of liberty to ourselves individ
ually and our posterity individually
do ordain and establish this constitution-
for the United States of America. "
That is the real constitution. That is
the compact we are born to fulfill. It
is a socialistic bond for individual pre
servation. In the "articles" a govern
ment is provided for , the machinery for
its regulation established , and individ
ual rights definitely stated. They form
a part of the constitution , but the gov
ernment can be overturned if it over
turns itself it is usurpation the machin
ery can be changed and the individual
rights lessoned or enlarged , but the con
stitution itself cannot be changed ex
cept to the destruction of the people. It
is in accord and uniform with natural
law. It is infallible. That is all 1
Where then did , or can , the govern
ment find authority for going to war
with Spain , exposing the lives of the
people , or augmenting their taxes ?
Where does it find its authority for its
present course in Cuba and the Philip
pines ? In usurpation ! The people per
mit it because of the emotional insanity ,
ignorance and indifference which per
vade them. Governments cannot be
altruistic institutions for the benefit of
aliens. Governments are the directors
of a trust. The constitution agreed
upon by the people gives the conditions
of that trust. Taxation for self-preser
vation is the law of the trust and limits
the taxing power of the government.
The government's power over the lives
of citizens is to hold them to their agree
ment to stand by the common defense
and general welfare , by force if neces
sary. There it ends. Has the govern
ment of the United States usurped the
rights of the people over their lives and
property , or not ?
Expansion in Limited.
The next and last question is the right
of the government of the United States
to acquire or take by force foreign terri
tory under existing conditions at home ?
The law can be stated succinctly and
briefly. Many deny the right on as
sumed constitutional grounds. They
are both right and wrong. It depends
on the conditions prevailing within the
United States. A government may ex
pand its territorial boundaries by the ac
quisition of foreign territory when in
ternal coudi tions over-population de
maud it as a self-preserving necessity.
It may do it when an adjoining nation
is a constant and direct threat to the
lives and property , and general welfare
of its citizens. In other words , a gov
ernment may extend its territory in
order to prevent anarchy at home. That
the expansion be ethical the expanding
or aggressive party must have the abil
ity to do what it undertakes without re
mote danger of weakening its self-main
taining ability , that is , of disturbing the
welfare or safety of its people further
than is necessary to the direct act of ex
pansion. In other words , the expansion
must bo self-preserving and not destruc
tive. Such a necessity for territorial
extension does not exist. Therefore , all
talk of expansion is without just cause.
The government has no authority over
the lives and property of the people for
such a purpose. It is absolutely un
necessary and completely foreign to any
thought of preserving the Union , or
maintaining the conditions of the con
stitution.
When the people of the United States
awake to their senses , they will declare
themselves free from machine usurpa
tion. Assuming their natural and con
stitutional dictatorship , as strong men ,
they will select true and strong men to
represent them dishonesty is always
weak. The government will again be
constitutional. As from the beginning
the Union has been for individual pre
servation so to the end it must be the
intelligent conduct of the government on
that principle as writ in the constitution
by the fathers and accepted by their
posterity.
To uphold the constitution is as neces
sary to us as it was to the fathers to or
dain and establish it. Powerful as they
seeni the machines are rotten. The
parties are corrupt. We , the people ,
must "form a more perfect Union. "
We must organize a new party. Amer
icanism must be born again. The slo
gans of liberty , the battle-cries of free
dom , must be no representation with
out taxation. No sacrifice of life except
in the common defense or to maintain
domestic tranquillity. No taxation ex
cept to uphold and develop the general
welfare. Constitutionalism , not despot
ism. Legality , not anarchy.
FRANK S. BILLINGS , M. D.
Graf ton , Mass.
ROOSEVELT'S TKIP.
Governor Roosevelt was carried from
Chicago to Las Vegas in the private car
of Paul Morton , vice-president of the
Atchison , Topeka and Santa Fe. Mr.
Morton is a stalwart six-footer , the sou
of J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska City.
He began his railway service under
Tom Potter on the O. B. & Q. , and
when he quit that road was its general
passenger agent. J. Sterling Morton
has several sous and they are all success
ful business men ; all are managing
great enterprises. The father is in re
tirement in the midst of homo surround
ings at Nebraska City and for pastime
is editing a paper called THE CONSERVA
TIVE , which possibly would better be
called The Radical. In a late number
he scored Senator Thurston for the sick
ening sentimentality contained in the
senator's gushing poetry recently read
at a down East social function. Mr.
Morton , sr. , is an admirer of Colonel
Roosevelt and it could easily be guessed
that the rough rider is also a favorite
with the sou. Mr. Morton was the
prince of hosts in his private car. His
manner is modest and unpretentious but
he knows the railroad business from end
to end. The Santa Fe system was reor
ganized and taken out of the hands of
the receiver in 1896 and since that time
ten millions of dollars have been ex
pended in betterments. It is rock bal
lasted almost from Kansas City to Los
Angeles. All along the line there are
evidences of liberal expenditures in im
provements. Everything has been
touched up and it can well be guessed
that the new Santa Fe company is com
posed of business men who know how
to manage a railroad. The passenger
department is at Topeka , while the exe
cutive officers have their headquarters
in Chicago. The company pays the in
terest on all its bonds and dividends on
all its stocks. The gross earnings for
the year just ending will be forty mil
lions of dollars. The European stock
holders take much interest in the Santa
Fe and are pleased with their invest
ment. It is probably the only railroad
in America that bears the name of a
town off its main line. The old town of
Santa Fe , the picturesque capital of the
territory , is located many miles from
the main line on a branch , leaving the
main line at Lamy , some distance west
of Las Vegas. The railroad on the
stock exchange in New York is called
the "Atchisou. " In Europe it is always
of the " " while
ways spoken as "Topeka ,
the company advertises itself as the
"Santa Fe Line. " Together the entire
name is made use of. The road enjoys
more exclusive territory than any other
line in existence and it is surprising that
syndicates were not falling over each
other to secure the property when it
was on the market. No other railroad
has so many branch lines , every rich
valley offering a temptation to build.
It is a road that is in close touch with
the people , anxious to aid in the general
development. Des Moiues Capital.
CONSERVATISMS.
Self-lovo is the key to all benevolence.
The ideal is invariably unreal ; hence
false.
The unfit and the imperfect are of the
same nature.
Ignorance proclaims self-sacrifice to
be a virtue.
The more intelligent the self-love the
greater the self-sacrifice.
Self-preservation and not growth is
the inevitable necessity of individual
ized life.
Benevolence may bo beneficial to in
dividuals but is an expensive vanity to
the race.
Benevolence is a balance by which is
weighed personal vanity or superstitious
cowardice.
Growth is but one condition or mani
festation of life. The cardinal condi-
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