The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-07-17
.LETHARGY and COWARDICE,
1nf ference Is Besetting Sin O.
the People.
! RICANS MUST REGAIN THE
SPIRIT OF '76.
5itatiOn PrOgresses-The Reyolu
ton Must Come.

4 Emma Ghent Curtis in Chicago Sentinel }
l remember once having seen in a
comic paper the picture of dilapi-
dated old, darkey patched up with
court plaster, bandaged up with mus.
lin of divers hues, walking with a
crutch and carrying his arm in a
sling. He was standingat the door of
his cabin and just over that door
hung a sign bearing the words:
Mule for Sale" That picture con-
tained volumes of meaning. The
mule was failure so far as the COL
ored gentleman was concerned and
the same had wisely decided to get
rid OF him. Is it not high time for
the American people, plastered with
mortgages, burdened with debt, out
of work, out of homes, out of hope, to
hang out sign reading, System of
Government to Dispose Of"
One of the worst evils of present
day American politics is partisanship.
This partisanship is so largely the re-
suit OF representative government
that were the latter set aside the
former would gradually dissipate.
Partisanship may have a few good
points but these can be considered at
some other time. One of it's worst
evils has been the tendency to cause
voters .to look at all measures in a
prejudlced light and not upon the
question of their merits.
Smith has always been Democrat,
for this reason he does not carefully
weigh and consider the probable eff.
feet of any measure proposed by his
party, upon his prosperity and buSi-
ness. Not one such measure does he
consider upon it's actual merits; he is
Democrat and because the measures
are the children Of his party he
blindly upholds them. They may tax
him out of all reason, reduce his
wages or the value of his property, but
he will not complain. He will lay the
blame of his mis- upon other
causes than the ficial acts he should
we'll know produced them. Jones is a
Republican, and he pursu ues a precise
ly similar policy with regard to his
party and the meas Tres it advocates.
Now were our present system of rep
resentative government converted in
to direct governmet, and the four
teen-dollar-a day congressman set to
ploWing corn instead of plowing pros
perity OF the masses up by the roots,
we would have far less partiSanShip.
The said congressman and his safe
lites would have something else to do
besides setting people whose interests
are identScal upon each others
throats. A proposed law would be
presented to the people not as a meas
ure of any political party, but as some
thing large per cent of the "great
plain people" had asked for through
the initiative. Thus presented the
measure would arouse no venom and
no unreasonicg partisan hatred. 1t
would coEe before the people upon
it's actual merits and uDon these
alone would be accepted or rejected
will mentiOn few OF the ohiec-
tiOns I have heard offered by well
meaning people to the system or di-
rect legislation, and will say a few
words as to the wisdom thereof.
I. 1.-THE people are not well enough
informed to decide upon all the i'm
portant measures of government;they
would make terrific and ratal mis-
takes" It looks to the writer as if
somebody else had made some mis-
takes. No thinking person can see
the awful condition of the American
laborers and producers and the tot
tering state of the Republic $50
called) and not know that fearful mis-
takes have been made. The people, if
given direct legislation, may make a
20 aicf fol~ hy,f vr,S11
worse ones than their represen tatives
have made, and moreover they will
know that SO long as they hold the
initiative and referendum they have
the ready and effective means OF cor
recting all mistakes and righang all
wrongs. If they unwisely do, they
can speedily undo. There will be
none OF the present hopeless groaning
under irremediable wrong. AS to
popular lack Of information nothing
will put that evil to flight so readily
as direct legislation. It will bring the
actual, every day facts of government
to the very doors of the people and
compel them to know what is going
on, to think, to consider, to weigh
and judge. It will fairly take hold of
people and shake the political ignor-
ance out of them. It will teach them
that good, plain common sense is
quite as useful and necessary in gov
ernment as it is driving a mule, hoe
ing potatoes or building fence.
2. "It is too much trouble to sub
nit all laws to the people" Please
remember that under direct govern
ment there will be but few laws to
submit and these will be simple, con-
else and to the point. They will,
when printed, occupy but little space
upon the ballot 1t will of course be
little trouble for the people to in
form themselves upon the nature Of
the laws they are to vote upon; it is
also some trouble to go hungry, to
hunt for work when none is to be
found, to move out mOrtgaged
home, and to be the victim of sweat
shop boss. as some people have to do
the present time.
3. "It will increase the cost of
elections" As to this objection a
little consideration would be wise. In
the first place the cost will not be in
creased, for the laws would be pre-
sented to the people at the regular
elections. and would be printed upon
the same ballots that carry the can
didates' names. In Colorado all con-
stitutional amendment are thus SUBJ
:mittcd. In the second place the peo-
pie would soon learn TO save the en-
tire present outlay fos congressional
whiskey, Official wakes. .f.ty-thOuSand- fl
dollar presidents and other needless