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THE COURIER
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AN ETHICAL VIEW OF AMERICAN POLITICS.
The Political Trend.
IV.
Tho unit or basis of any social or political system must necessarily
bo tho individuals or the family, and in tho most primitive times,
every man was his own master; tho only restriction upon his rights
or supposed liberty being such as wero imposed by tho superior
prowess of his neighbors, since all contentions wero submitted to
tho arbitrament of battle. This simple condition of society, or
rather stato, before tho organization of any society or government,
has for its correlative a condition in which all power is gathered in
an absoluto monarch to whom the individual is subservient as a
moro subject. Tho ono is tho logical result of tho ovolution of tho
forces lying dormant in tho other, for wero not kingdoms and empires
created by tho ultimato triumph of tho strongest in tho field of
battle?
Government thus created camo to stand as arbiter in contentions
between subjects of tho realm, and in tho natural process of devel
opment soon included a code of laws, having for their real object
tho restraining of individuals to acts not interfering with tho rights
of others. This is one of tho chief ends of all government, and it
finds expression in tho form of courts of law, which Carlylo says aro
but "chimneys for the contentions of men to escape by."
To doviso a schemo by which unlawful acts of individuals could
bo properly restrained, was truly a tremendous advanco from tho
primitive conditions; but tho next great problem for solution was
how to properly restrain tho rapacity of tho government itself in its
attitudo towards his subjects, duo to tho short sightedncss and weak
human nature of tho rulers.
The first really great effort to solve this question is known to his
tory as tho movement resulting in tho Magna Charta. This and
succeeding events in England gavo to tho colonies an heritage rich
in the principles of free government at tho timo of the revolution;
but it remained for tho American people in their federal constitution
to give tangible oxpression to the fundamental principles of a system
of civil government, at once so delicately poised as to possess ample
power and resources to maintain itself, but subject to very much
the same restraints, in its relations to the individual citizen, that
the citizens are in their relations to each other.
This system provides admirably for local government for all local
matters, and was intended to provide for national jurisdiction of all
matters not purely local but which pertain to the country at large,
or to its relations with foreign nations. That much venerated docu
ment, the constitution, is perhaps, as nearly perfect as tho wisdom
of man could make it for the conditions existing at tho timo of its
adoption.
Asbefore stated, our industrial and civil relations were extremely
simple at that time, but the first century has seen a wonderful
change; the national domain now extends from ocean to ocean, and
is traversed by thousands and thousands of miles of railroads, form
ing a net work of highways of commerce and travel, a marked ad
vanco from stage coach and canal boat days.
Wo now havo mammoth corporations, trusts and vast labor or
ganizations extending in their various ramifications to every corner
of these United States; we havo tho telegraph, telephone and that
great engine of civilization, tho priuting press.
With our own industrial development wo are hearing with even
more frequency that timo will see tho disarmament of Europe
hurried on perhaps by tho immense improvement in the implements
of warfare. Is it too much to expect that there will ultimately bo
established a tribunal for the adjudication of international disputes
modeled somewhat on the lines of the supremo court of the United
States? Do wo not see already great international alliances on tho
continent of Europe, and may not the pending arbitration agree
ment between England and the United States be but the forerunner
of what many expect to see tho federation of all English speaking
peoples?
After all tho relations of nations to each other are much the same
as tho relations of individuals, and is it too much to expect that ho
accumulated wisdom of tho ages which has disposed of other and
equally perplexing problems, will ultimately be able to provide a
codo of laws for nations and a tribunal for their adjudication?
Truo liberty is born of restraint proper restraint, and can only
exist under tho rulo that no man, community or stato can interfere
with rightB or property or any other man, community or state except
in a lawful manner and upon dur compensation. This is tho very
essence of free civil government. Tho man who is able to riso alovo
local conditions and stand for tho greatest good for the greatest
number, with proper protection for his own community is tho really
great man, and is the ono in lino with tho progress of tho world.
Tho man who allows his own selfish, at tho fancied interest of his
own community, to so dim his vision, that ho cannot Beo any rights
for anybody slst, may havo a silver tongue; ho may havo personal
magnetism; but if our nistory stands for anything, ho will surely bo
swept aside in tho maelstrom of our onward progress. A moment's
thought should bo sufficient to convince anyone that it must bo so,
for if his theories wero to obtain, thiB union of tho states would
havo to bo broken up eventually to avoid oppression, and this pro
cess or disintegration if continued would eventually undo tho his
tory of tho world.
Tho American peoplo wero tho first in tho history or tho world to
voluntarily and without opposition organize a constitutional civil
government, and to tho glory of tho peoplo, bo it said, that no
American citizen, however Hushed with military success or renown
has attempted to usurp tho prerogatives of tho civil olllco. If wo
can but show a wiso discrimination in strengthening tho national
government just enough to enable it to keep pace with tho oyer
broadening and increasing complexity of our industrial and civil
relations, tho United States or America will truly stand forth as a
lesson to all mankind, as to tho benefits of popular education and or
tho golden rulo put into practice.
It seems to bo ordained that good generally results from the con
tention or opposing rorccs, and while tho great political parties may
neither of them represent the loftiest idea of civil development, does
it not behoove tho intelligent citizen to cast his lot with tho ono
standing nearest to such ideal, than with tho ono, ir such there be,
rounded and matured in localism or sectionalism to such an extent
even, that it necessarily divides against itsoir when in power tho
logical and only result or localism, and which has been compelled
by tho rorce or events to recede rrom nearly every important posi
tion it has ever taken upon any great question. Nixox.
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SHE GOMES, SHE GOMES.
With a hurry and a flurry, with a rip and with a whoop, emanci
pated woman is about to fiy tho coop. Tho cooking and tho wash
ing will bother her no more. She is going to make tho polls look as
they never looked before. Hubby must do the marketing, and ho
must sit up nights, to nurse the baby's colic while she fixes Human
Rights. She has been tho slave or man for years, but now she's
going to vote she's going to run Tor office, and she's going to ride
the goat in tho Masonic lodges and servo on juries, too, and run for
alderwoman, and do all things tuat men do. She will drink tho
festive cocktail and stay out after dark, and ride horseback
astraddle in tho streets and in tho park. In fancy I can see her
down in tho congress hall, where men so long have had exclusive
privilege to bawl: "Will tho lady from Nebraska allow an in
terrup " "No, that I won't so there, now you horrid thing, shut
up!" "Mistress Speaker. I declare to you it really gives mo pain to
listen to tho roolishness or that old hen from Maine." O, in dreams
I hear each dear one at the same timo speaking her piece 'mid the
banging or the gavel in the hand or Speaker Lease. And hero in
little old Now York I think I see her stand at the polls with Miko
and Danny, shaking Barney by the hand. And Tammany Hall may
then be strong up on Firth avenue, and the damsels down on Hester
street may rally around Depew; and in the county court house,
when woman gets tho vote, can't you hear the jurywoman putting
questions to Joe Choate? O, what'Il Income or lawyers' technicality
and judge, when the jury box is full o' girls and Mrs. O'G rally's
judge. New York Sun.
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