The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-10-12
SHELTON. WASHINGTON FRIDAY OCTOBER T. 1884,

can legislation? rs If there was some
political entity to which an appeal
could be made TO protect the people
against the evils of society, and to
take charge of the railroads and tsle-
graphs and all the great agencies of
modern civilization. What is the
government of the United States?
In the first place, there is president
Grover Cleveland, 1 understand, is
his name. How did he get there?
Not by any assistance or cooperation
of mine, l want you to understand.
Nevertheless, he got there. He got
there by the votos, by the alleged
votes, of a majority of the American
people.
THE GOVERNMENT.
What else is there about the gov
ernment of the United States? A
house of representatives, chosen from
the different representative districts,
the vote of a majority of the Ameri-
can people. There is a senate, COM
posed Of members, chosen by legisla-
lures, similarly elected. and want to
say right here to my populist friends
that the plank in their platform in
favor of the election of United States
senators by the people appears to me
to have great deal of sense in it. 1t
is a movement in the direction of the
associated authority of the people,
and 80 far as 1 am concerned, would
just as lief be chosen to the senate by
direct vote of the people as any other
way; the main thing is to get there
What else is there besides the presi-
dent of the United States and the two
houses of congress in the government
OF the United States! Judges of the
different courts, wearing its ermine,
nominated by the president and con-
firmed by the senate. And if there
be anything else about We call the
government of the United States than
these three things 1 should be glad if
some pOpulist orator, or editor, would
tell me wherein my error lies; and /
would like to know what authority
Grover Cleveland, or Jeremiah Simp-
son, or Judge Foster, up here at
Topeka, has to interfere in my affairs,
anyway. They are the representatives
and agents and servants of majority
of the people. want you to under
stand that the government of the
United States is not in the presiden-
tial chamber, nor in tho senate cham
ber, nor in the house of representa-
tives. The government of the United
States is not on the bench of the
supreme court of the United States.
The government of the United States
is here. We are the government of
the United States. We have not as
sembled here this afternoon for the
purpose of considering who is to be
our king or magistrate; we are not
here for the purpose of considering
who shall rule over us. We are assem-
bled for the purpose of deciding whom
we will allow to serve US for the next
two or four or six years in this coun-
try, and it is mistaken and imbecile,
an un-American idea to assert before
any audience of American citizens
that there is any government that we
have authorized to take care of your
affairs or mine.
This talk about the Government
taking possession of the railroads and
telegraphs and telephones and other
agencies and societies is based upon
an entire misapprehension of the
functions of government in this coun-
try. Mr.. Grover Cleveland has no
! right to take possession of the rail-
roads, nor has Jerry Simpson, nor has
my successor in the senate. They
have no functions except that which
majority of the people conferred
upon them to represent them as their
ministers. 1t is heresy, it is falla-
cy, it is sophistry that there is any
power in this country other than that
which rests right here among the
great masses of the body of the peo-
pie. What is the wealth of the coun-
try that we hear 50 much about ex-
cept the aggregate individual possess
ions of the citizeus OF the United
States? We hear great deal of talk
about utilizing the credit of the
United States when you issue bonds.
What is the credit of the United
States except the credit of the individ-
ual inhabitants added together?
RAILROADS.
I am not here to defend railroads.
I am here to say that I believe railroad
managers will take anything that
they can get, and / have seen . great
! deal of railroad managers in this state
and nation within the last twenty
years, that made my blood boil with
indignation. They need restraint.
They need control. They need feel
the weight like everybody else; but
when it comes to taking Dosession of