The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 09 (of 12): Dresden Edition—PoliticalIngersoll, Robert Green
History
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 09 (of 12): Dresden Edition—Political
Ingersoll, Robert Green
Free thought
Ireland should govern herself. Those who till the soil should own the
soil, or have an opportunity at least of becoming the owners. A few
landlords should not live in extravagance and luxury while those
who toil live on the leavings, on parings, on crumbs and crusts. The
treatment of Ireland by England has been one continuous crime. There is
no meaner page in history.
What is the next thing in this platform? And if there is anything in it
that anybody can object to, we will find it out to-night. The next thing
is the supremacy of the Nation.-Why, even the Democrats now believe in
that, and in their own platform are willing to commence that word with
a capital N. They tell us that they are in favor of an indissoluble
Union--just as I presume they always have been. But they now believe in
a Union. So does the Republican party. What else? The Republican party
believes, not in State Sovereignty, but in the preservation of all the
rights reserved to the States by the Constitution.
Let me show you the difference: For instance, you make a contract with
your neighbor who lives next door--equal partners--and at the bottom of
the contract you put the following addition: "If there is any dispute
as to the meaning of this contract, my neighbor shall settle it, and any
settlement he shall make shall be final." Is there any use of talking
about being equal partners any longer? Any use of your talking about
being a sovereign partner? So, the Constitution of the United States
says: "If any question arises between any State and the Federal
Government it shall be decided by a Federal Court." That is the end of
what they call State Sovereignty.
Think of a sovereign State that can make no treaty, that cannot levy
war, that cannot coin money. But we believe in maintaining the rights
of the States absolutely in their integrity, because we believe in local
self-government. We deny, however, that a State has any right to deprive
a citizen of his vote. We deny that the State has any right to violate
the Federal law, and we go further and we say that it is the duty of the
General Government to see to it that every citizen in every State shall
have the right to exercise all of his privileges as a citizen of the
United States--"the right of every lawful citizen," says our platform,
"native or foreign, white or black, to cast a free ballot."
Let me say one word about that.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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