The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-26
CONGRESSMAN WILSON.
His Eloquent Address Upon the Gen.
t%ralizotion Of Power and
Wealth.
The Fallacy of the so-Called Pro-
tective System Brought
Out.
A Large Audience Greets the Distinguish.
ed Orator from West Virginia at
Electric Hall.

Congressman William L. Wilson received
a true western greeting in Helena last night
An audience of about 600 intelligent think
ing people assembled in Electric hall ant
listened to his f~orty-minute address and APP
plauded his telling points against the so
called protective system. He was escorted
by the Hendricks club and the Capitol City
band to the hall where the following gentle
men took seats upon the platform with him
Governor Toole, Ex-Governor p. H. Leslie,
Col. Broadwater, Ex-Chief Justice McCon.
nell, w. NJ. Campbell, chairman of the
Minnesota democratic state committee
Hon. r. B. Smith. president of the Hend'
ricks club, A. j. Davidson, Major Daven.
port, $. G. Ashby, James Sullivan, Hugh
McQuaid, s. Il. Atkinson, Chairman Steele
of the democratic state central committee
President Smith introduced Congressman
Wilson to his audience. He is an easy anc
graceful speaker, magnetic in manner
and presents political questions il
an entertaining way. AS he was
presented be said: / am very grateful to the
president of the Hendricks club for the
highly complimentary termsin which he has
PISSoutcu ZIG w yous L nave bcSh AOIlk
enough in Montana to know something OF
the largeness of the state itself, which does
not stop even in liberality of speech. l feel
that I ought to thank you for coming out
in such a large conccurse to listen to what
has been advertised as a political discus
sion. When / undertook to make a trip to
the Pacific coast l was conscious that polit-
ical discussion in an off year would not be
welcome to the great mass of the people.
We feel that when elections are upon us,
when political campaign are to be fought,
that We take up politics sometimes as a
necessary evil, and that the off year we de-
sire to reserve to ourselves. Political
opinions cannot oe formed justly and ra-
tionally in the excitement of campaigns
under the influence of fervid oratory and
the braying of brass bands. There
and ought to appeal, to the quiet, thought
full considerable Judgment of the people with
greater force than political questions. We
are attempting in this country to do tho
most difficult thing that any people in the
world have ever done, and that is to run a
great free government. If you suppose
that it 10 an easy and natural form of gov
eminent, see % many free governments,
sue as an American would understand to
be free, you can find in the world to-day.
We find in the history of all the past that
they have been great In commerce, agricul-
ture, jurisprudence, art, science and legis-
lation, while we are trying to be great in the
greatness OF freedom. l have been for
three days in the great, new commonwealth
of Montana. have never before enjoyed
seeing the great empire which has been
lately admitted to the sisterhood of states;
OF seeing the rich agricultural valleys and
learning something of the products of your
mines, and of enjoying the warm greet
ings OF your people. As have
and seen this young commonwealth just
started upon her career, l have felt that
never before have your future greatness,
your industrial progress and prosperity as
a state been SO dependent upon the ad-
ministration of this government upon
sound democratic principles. Applause.
And l feel that a journey from the Atlantic
to the Pacific is in itself a democratic edu-
cation. No man can travel this country, as
l have been attempting to do, without feel
ing that its future greatness and the preser-
walton of its liberties are largely dependent
upon the maintenance of the fundamental
democratic principles of local self-govern-
mont. No man in Maine or West Virginia,
only acquainted with their local affairs,
can legislats intelligently for a great coun-
try like this. l was glad to see in the con-
stitution of your state that you asserted
first, the great principle of government
that all power Is derived from the people,
and that the commonwealth of Montana is
a free, sovereign and independent state.
[Applause.
Free government is necessarily self gov
eminent. And if free government is self
government, in a great degree it must nee
essarlly be state government. Standing
here and seeing upon the map of vour state
the names of Jefferson, Madison and Gal
latin l have been reminded of that great
event in the beginning of this century,
when all this territory was added to what
was then the United States of America. You
nave fifty IN these names done honor and
raised your monument to the great men
that achieved the purchase of this territory,
In l9O3 when distrust was expressed in the
capacity of the people to govern themselves
and the country was Thought to be too big
for union, the first democratic president of
this country bought the territory that
doubled the size of the United States. Ap-
plause. And l want to be pardoned for
one suggestion to the people of Mon
tana, that TO the names of Lewis
and Clarke n Jefferson, and the two great
cabinet officers, Madison and Gallatin, you
roe who was sent to France in the inter
ests of that great purchase extending from
the mouth of the Mississippi river to Puget
sound. LApplausel.
II 1t be true that free government is
necessarily self government, and that self
government must largely be state govern
ment, the reason Is apparent to any man as
he looks out on this country, that the rights
of the people can only be preserved by the
fullest possible exercise of the rights and
capacity of the people to regulate their own
domestic affairs. 1t is upon your own state
that you depend to protect you in your
person, property, life INC liberties. 1t i'd
your own state officers that you elect to per
form these duties under your own eyes and
under your power of control. You elect
your governor, and you showed exceedingly
good sense in the man whom you have
elected. Loud applause. You elect your
everywhere. How many of the Off
GERS of the government at Washington
do you elect! In all the machinery of fed
eral government the people elect directly
only members of the house of representa-
tlves. The president is indirectly elected
by the electoral system which has become
autocratlc and We have to-day a minority
president, and have had minority presi-
dents IN this country very frequently in the
immediate past. You do not elect your
federal judges. Federal officers at every
point are appointed from Washington and
are not responsible to public sentiment In
the states where they reside. Federal gov
m deals with you at long range. The
state OF Montana deals with YOU at short
range. Its officials whom you have chosen
perform their duties under your own ewes.
Then 1t seems to me it is to the interests of
the State of Montana to throw for that
party which from It's history has stood
against the encroachments of Capitalization
and for the largest possible measure of sell
government in every respect. Applause.
But there liz another thing in which Won IN.