The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-10-25
PHASES OF GOVERNMENT.


lection, to insure the safety of life and
property, to advance individual as
well as public prosperity, to make
laws and then to maintain them. jThe
greatest good to the greatest number
is the true principle underlying such
organization, and, therefore, when the
good of the individual comes in con-
fiict with that Of the community, the
former must submit to the latter. In
dividual rights are thus properly Cir
cumscribed and neglected. But, when
Individual rights do not conflict with
that of communities the former are
protected, and their interests ad-
vanced; and it becomes the duty of
organized society, or government, to
exhaust its power, if necessary
in maintaining individual rights
This is the picture Of true democracy
and it is this form of government to
which the Democratic party of this
country allies itself, which it stands
pledged to enforce. That we enjoy
such government, either in federal Or
ganization or in all state organiza-
tions, is not asserted, for much of our
government is q mere traveSty upon
genuine democracy. The people elect
a president and a congress, governors
and legislatures, but as agents for
carrying out popular will, for even
reasonable protection to the masses,
] they are often deplorable failures.
The heads of governments often be-
come, instead Of popular agents, the
advocates, even the tools, of individ-
uals. But with the checks and bal
ances constituting these governme ents
evil purposes of rulers or Executives
are often defeated, and frequently
when the head of the government pro-
poses one thing the popular branch of
the government wisely disposes. A
notable instance of this was pre-
sented during the last session of the
Texas legislature, when the popular
branch of the state government
stepped bodily to the front and ar
rested course of violence and wrong
directed at the people for individual
ends. The heads of the governments
of the United States are apt to at once
forget they are simply agents of the
people, appointed to do their behests.
Too soon do they assume the position
that governments are created to eat
up taxes, instead of to most wisely ex-
pend public moneys for the greatest
public good; that the schemes
of creatures and of sycophants
are the worthiest ends to be advanced
by the use of dearly produced public
treasure. Somehow, executives are
apt to forget they are not rulers they
take to themselves the spirit of mon
archs, and too soon do they regard
themselves as masters. They even
assume the divine right to rule, and
make unto themselves nobility, upon
whom is lavished the sweat-contrib-
uted taxes of people. The people
are all right; they know what demo-
cratic government is. and they know
how it should be administered. 1t is
the "ruler," puffed up with vain pride,
with a little brief authority, and
seeking to win, through office,
in the shortest time, all the
advantage possible for self and
creatures, who so often distorts gov
ernment and makes of it an agency
for public woe instead of for veal.
The tendency to personalism in gov
ernment is not to be charged against
the people, but against the agents Sc
lected by them, and by whom they are
deceived, but whose removal soon
places them beyond the power of in
fiicting long continued public harm.
The checks of popular gov
ernment are as sublime as
the injustice of personal government
is sometimes glaring. The people
rule, and when evil presents itself
they should not be slow to correct it.
In a popular government, like ours,
the head of the government is in
tended to be simply the head of a
great family, and the honor of this
family should be as carefully guarded
against evil associations as the parent
would guard the honor and virtue of
the child. To see brazen men, with
money making schemes, which can be
made successful only by wronging the
people, debating the course of heads
of departments, is humiliating in the
| wi oh tho TunoIyT1ncc IF
not the villany, of officials, and calls
for places to be filled by better men.
1t should be a rule, from which the
popular mind should never sWerve,
that an executive officer, who, in one
single case, considers the Individual
with more favor than he does the
masses, is unfit for public trust
and should be displaced. Such
an officer brings scandal
upon popular government. and except
to the philosopher it appears degrad-
ed. For twenty years the federal
administration has been run in per-
sonal interests, and hence corruption
grows. To overcome this power that
rules so badly is task of grand pro-
portions. A great army of Office
holders occupy the country, from one
end to the other; they shape nomina-
tions and control by corrupt prac-
tices elections, and the day of de-
liverance, though often seeming near,
is postponed, In the same ratio, evil
state governments are often difficult
to overthrow, but the populace is
mighty. and popular government is
not a thing of chance, but one of GER
tainty, whenever the masses deter
mine it shall exist. In 1884, after a
long period of misrule, popular
supremacy will once more assert
itself. The evil example set
at Washington has been felt
in all parts of the Union. Gov
ernors and legislatures have caught
the evil infection, and even in Texas
things have been attempted IN gov
ernment, and sometimes they have
been perpetrated, absolutely disgrace
full to it. Let the people toler-
ate no more evil in government, but
let them aim to purify and guide all
their forms of government towards
the greatest public blessing.
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