The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-06-13
INTRODUCTION,


people that a lawyer should have so far
forgot his early training. as to write
book attempting to build up an ideal
society; but there is a reason for this
truth will sometimes strike the conscience
however hardened by education and pred
JUDGE. single paragraph changed the
future current of my thoughts and has de-
term1ned me to repair some of the evils 1
nave unconsciously helped to fasten on
society
A few years ago reading in daily paper,
my eyes fell on the following response to
an inquiry addressed to a prominent cor
respondent asking his opinion of Chicago:
L thing it is earth's subimest illustra-
ton of the fiendish spirit of modern civiliza-
tlon, 1t is the crowned king devil of trade,
the most worthy paramor in all the world
OF the harot of competition for money
profit"
My eyes opened; I had for long time
been noticing the growth of labor troubles
IN TINS country, so favored by nature, and
had come to the conclusion, there was
something inherent in our social structure
that caused the intense agitation, and not
in the natural defects of man, as the
wealthy capitalists backed by the hired
theologians would have us believe.
When this country was new, and the
chance of the citizens at birth to acquire
wealth by labor, more equal, we were
prosperous; but labor troubles has grown
IN THIS country, in the same ratio that the
MAUI 81 poSSlDilllleS VI producing wealth mas
passed into the hands of a few specially
favored individuals, thereby concentrating
riches and spreading and intensifying pow
erty.
Reading the passage quoted appeared to
throw little light on the cause of trouble;
competition for money profit it constant
ly intruded on my thoughts. What was it?
A copy of the work of Carl Marx, 'Das
Capital, falling into my hands enlightened
me; but the remedy, what was it?
While still bordering on this problem,
the optimistic work of Mr.. Bethany, Look
ing Backward" appeared. l eSead this
book with great interest, but while he de-
picted by the allegory of the coach, the
| state of society in a very able manner, the
picture of his reformed society was so ut
| terly artificial and unreal, still keeping up
| the division of society into classes, and the
use of force to compel people during the
flower of youth to slide in grooves selected
| by other people, the whole establishment of
society seeming to produce wealth without
| labor, he leaves us entirely in the dark as
| to the real structure of society.
While still bordering on this remarkable
| book and the necessity of social reform,
| Mr.. Donnelly gave the pessmistic side,
| in Caesars Column" with it's awful pic
| ture of the legitimate consequences of per-
| Sisting in the present form of commercial
| competition and spoliation of labor, but
| while he utterly ruined and destroyed, the
| end of the panoramic view left us but
| piece of blank canvas
Those books have done a great service to
| society by calling attention to the evils of
| our present system, yet l felt there was
| room for some work that should give some
| practical form of society pointing out the
| evils. and creating a social system founded
| on the greatest possible amount of indi-
| v1dual liberty, the necessity of the citizen
| alone compelling him to choose a govern
| ment and occupation, and in no wise, by
| implication, to despise labor by constructing
| a society Where things seem to come al
| most spontaneously "a thing neither posi-
| BILE nor desirable), but rather to construct
| society based on natural laws that should
| force all to create their own wealth.
| only to place their power in the hands of d
| few cunning politicians, who administer it
| in such manner to defraud the common
| people of all social rights.
| The legislature elected at once becomes
| an irresponsible power, making laws for
| the highest bidder; there being referen-
| dunn of laws passed back to the people for
| approval, a check on corruption, a law
once passed must stand as far as the power
| of the people are concerned, whether it be
| just unjust.
| The law passed, an autocratic executive
infinitely above and out of reach of the peo-
| pie who created him, is free to enforce the
| law or not his self interest may deter
| mine. If a poor voter commits an offense,
| he is promptly punished, to hanging;
| but should a rich man commit crime,
| from petit larceny to embezzlement or bank
| robbery, from fornicaton to rape or incest,
| or from assault to murder, he is surely by
the exercise of the prerogative of executive
| power to be speedily pardoned and never
| executed.
l feel desire to do this from the fact
| that As years practice as a lawyer has
| shown me in emphatic manner the evils
| inflicted on mankind by laws made and en-
| forced by self-interested people.
| Being a lawyer, one of a class of citizens
| more directly responsible for the wrongs in
! fcted by unjust laws l feel 1t a duty in
| my declining years to devote my leisure to
| repair some of the wrongs inflicted by me
| and the class to which 1 belong, on the
| poor, under the usual plea that our duty
| was to our clients, ignoring the fact that
| legal talent is sold to the highest bidder
to defeat JUSTICE consequently the most
| needy are left helpless in the hands of av
| erice, and wrong reign triumphant,
| backed by law, lawyer and courts.
| The long and short of it is that I came
| to the conclusion that the evils of society
| consist of the surrender of power by the
| people.
The political power at present is divided
! into four functions: the voting, legislative,
| executive and judicial.
| The vote is left in the hands OF the peo-
| pie at present-although even this power is
| jealousy watched by the capitalist, and
under the pretext of throwing out ignorant
| voters is constantly attacked-who, blinded
by prejudice fOStered by the shrewd dema
| gogue, make use of it.
| The court is still further removed from
| the source of power which created it, and
| it rides serenely top of all. The law
| passed by the irresponsible legislature may
| be in force dozen years and infiict in
| justice or convey the sovereign power of
| the people to individuals to aid some
| thievng scheme of a corporation, or have
| a covert scheme of fraud yet unfolded,
| yet no person is allowed to know what the
law means, not even the legislature that
| enacted it, until a few autocrats, who COM
| pose the supreme court, power above all,
| voters legislature, executive, laws and
constitution, responsible only to their self
| interest and India rubber conscience, shall
| by suit brought before 1t by wealth and
the influence of powerful corporations, de-
| fine and determine what the law means,
and whether it is just and constitutional.
Justice and the constitution being but the
| exact measure of the moral power OF the
| Judge to Withstand the influence Of politi-
cal power or money
! The only hope of the future Is that some
| form of society may be evolved in which
! all the functions of government shall re-
| side in and be administered by the people.
Being convinced that with society con-
| structed as at present, the legislative, ex-
| ecutive and judicial the instruments of
government, raised above, separated from
| and irresponsible to the people, the source
| of all power, but one result follow:
| the hands of few and widespread poverty,
misery and slavery of the many.
Being further convinced that the result
| of a revolution of physical force ends only
| in creating a greater tyranny than before,
to rule brutaliZed people, without laying
claim to invention, L submit those thoughts
on an ideal government, that can be Gre