The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-04-22

will of the majority, or otherwise how
could success ever be achieved? A mere
faction can do nothing.
This should be done not merely for
sake of policy, but because the man who
joins the ranks takes upon himself a
solemn obligation 10 support and advocate
the principles which forms the unclus of
party action
Take for instance, the great principles
of the democratic party, and you will at
once see. that they form the pivot upon
which the whole ponderous party ma
chinery turns and operates at the will Of
majority. Where there are five millions
OF voters all banded together upon the
broad principles OF democracy. Of course
there will be differences of opinion on
certain measures that may come up, but
it is the duty OF the minority to submit
without impariling the success of the
party.
There are many other reasons why the
peoples representatives should be instruct
ed. Lobbyists are plentiful and they in
fest all legislative bodies and do exercise
great influence oyer some of the members.
They are backed by corporate bodies and
are lavished with their money and their
methods are also disreputable.
Human nature is also selfish and some-
times a man may forget the interest of his
constituency in being over jealous in
looking after his own. Where a member
has to guess at what his constituency
wants and while he is drawing straws to
see which way he shall vote on certain
bill that is pending, and Stahlman or
some of his henchmen, steps up and slaps
him on the shoulder and rams a free
pass or roll of money into his pockets and
whispers honeyed words into his atten-
tive ears, it il settled at once which way
that mans vote will be cast. These are
not mere vaporings, but they are facts,
and the proceedings of the 47th General
Assembly afford abundance OF proof of
what say.
A representative may serve the people
honestly and to the best of his ability and
yet he may err in his judgment as to
what would prove of real interest to them
for the simple reason that he had no
guide to govern him in his actions. In a
legislative body where there are from
900 to l 800 bill introduced of course
there will be some that are intended TO
be enacted into general laws and will
nine times out of ten they are the crea-
lures of the chimerical brain of some
embryonic statesman, VINO imagines he is
human machine, whose sole business is
to grind out laws for the people, that
they know nothing about.
They never hear of them un i'll they are
enacted in to laws, which must stand two
years before they can be repealed. No
person should vote for law of this kind
until it has been returned 10 the people
and discussed by them in all of its bear
ings.
A great deal of valuable time il was ed
over local measures. During the sess on
of the last legislature of Tennessee, The
were about ! 300 bills introduced and |
suppose that about 80 per cent. OF them
were of a local nature. 1t would have
been better for the people il Is per cent.
of that number had never been heard of.
The changing of county lines, is the Jig
gest business and the greatest humbug in
the Legislature.
The people have a right 10 instruct
their representatives and there are very
great reasons why they should do il. l.
makes no difference whether they are
members of the county court, the legisla-
ture or congress, the right is theirs. The
people are oftener misrepresented than
represe nted. Check this downward
tendency while there Is yet time. Let
every method be Iesorted to and every
effort be used to preserve the autonomy Of
self and local government, aud 10 prevent
as far as possible the steady encroachment
of Capitalization.
Let the democrats of Hardeman county
think about this matter and if it meets
with any degree of favor see that commit
teemen are elected who will comply with
the wishes of the people.
Respectfully,
w, M. MATHEWS