The Labor enquirer., 1886-02-20
DENVER, COLORADO, SATURDAY. FEBRUARY

Four or five times the whole people o
Switzerland have given their ratifica
zion of or rejected general laws, Th,
most beneficial results have come from
it.n
When the people have this then yol
will know what is really the will of th,
people. Then the people will be edu
Gated to understand the laws and tax,
care of their own interests to discuss
them in their town meetings and il
their ward meetings ). to form new opin
ions, and to study the new politica
economy and science. As soon as yor
can by agitation set people thinking
hard on the faults and Shortcomings Of
their laws, and tell them some better
things you would put in their place, and
give them the power to act upon it, you
need no more care for the monop olists
nor for the capitalists. What is a rep
resentative's interest may not be my in
terest. If he has the legal power to vote
not as l want him to vote / can be
cheated outyof nv rights. This is the
view of the working people generally
and they are tired of this sort of legisla-
ton. They cease to interest themselves
in political meetings, to think about
laws or to read and discuss them, be.
cause they see that it is all in vain.
There is no opening through which
they can carry out their own will.
The people do not stir until they are
compelled to. The vote given to rep,
resentatives does not indicate the wishes
of the people. The two parties represent
the interests of the people so little that
nova davs the party platforms are
nearly alike. Switzerland has but
2,5OO.0O0 of people. it is small territory
and poor, but after all the surroun ding
despots fear very much to despoil the
Swiss people and appropriate their soil,
because they fear to get into their con-
fines 2,5O0,OOO free born men. 1t is a
very imr ortant country; not only as an
example for other people who want to
be free. but also by keeping the "watch
of freedom" in Europe-offerlnga refuge
for the fugitives from political persecu-
tions in all other parts of the continent.
It
If the laws are made by the people
themselves it will DESTROY. first, the
incentive to corrupt the people by brib-
cry because the majority of people would
not sell their own interest if they knew
it. Secondly, it would destroy the
chance of buying legislator for he
would have nothing to sell. Third, 1t
,poatld educate the people politically
and economically, very much recona-
naeaded by every statesman and econo
mist but only possible in this s0ay.
Fourth, it would force the people to dis
charge their duty. Fifth, it would place
the responsibility upon them. They
claim now that they are not, and as a
matter of fact they are not, responsible
for bad laws, because the people do not
even now elect men to make bad laws,
yet it is done. Sixth, if they did pass a
bad law they would as soon as they feel it
repeal it at once, while now they must
petition and pray to their legislative
bodies, and spend money to get them
either to pass a law they want, or to re-
peal one they do not want. They would
then be the sovereigns and their Off
cials their servants, while now the Off
cials are the masters and the people the
servants. No Individual or corporation
would give their servants the power to
control their business absolutely; for if
they did the servants would las in our
political system) soon be the masters.
That this system is impracticable by
reason of such large territory or so many
people is not true: First, because the
law making can be classified and sub
divided. But have once your funda-
mental laws adopted, correct and just,
and it would want no others for centur-
les. Sound and Just laws will prevent
law making, and reduce it to local mat
ters. The people having the disposition
of them, not one law out of every 10000
now proposed. would be brought for
ward. Second, it is as easy to get re-
turns upon the voting of law as to gel
returns upon the election of a mayor
governor or president and with proper
arrangement much easier.
Isaac COHEN.
P. S.-I came across letter of Joseph
R. Buchanan on industrial education
which will be the subject of my next
letter. L. Z.
SsetaIfstfc Preachers.
1t is fact that Socialism, 80 terribly
dreaded few years ago, is making more
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