West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-11-18
TIE DRBAM OF DEMOCRACY
wrlngn f.r thc Aaev. By A. w. rreasrlcE. A

iNS' S''O' hhiNhe ~ AbS ptoplt uoto
not exist IN the United States now;
and more than that. it never has
existed at anytime in our history.
Let the truth be told. though our
fondes. political idols be broken.
When our Constitution was
framed, il was 10 large extent "A
compromise between those who
would gladly have made Washing
ton King, and these who believed as
Jefferson did, that the strongest
government is government by the
people. Let us consider now di-
''ectly our forefathers Instituted
popular government. The branches
OF government are three-legis-
lative, executive and judicial The
people-men people-were accorded
the right to vote straight for mem
bers of the House of Represent
atives. That much only wss di-
rect. 1t was thought best that the
Senate, the other half of the lsgis-
lative body, should be selected by
state legIslatives. elected by the vo
sing masses, a sort Of second
hand representation beset by lob
bIes, manipulated by demngogues
in those latter days, and much be-
loved by the money power that
buys Senstorships for it's greatest
millionaires.
The choice Of the Chief Executive,
the Electoral College chooses a
president for the people, Hayes
elected by minority, and defeats
the will of the majority who desire
Il Tilden. Then, In order TO get
the third, or judicial branch of
government, aud to get it still re.
moved q little farther from the
people, the Chief Executive, for
whom only few electors voted,
and the people could not-the Chief
Executive dominates the Justices
of the Supreme Court and they are
confirmed in their appointments by
Senators for whom the people never
cast vote. So much for govern.
ment by indirection; the farther a
good government is removed from
the people, the greater it promises
to Cypress them, as governments by
injunction goes to show.
Just think of it'll A government
for the people, oy the people, and
Of the people, and the people only
have One-half a direct vote for one
branch out of three coordinate
branches Of government One
half of one.thIrd equals one-sixth
Of chance at direct government.
If a government by the people is
the strongest government on earth,
then ours is just one-sixth as strong
as it ought to be.
The ideal of direct Democracy
has made Roadway in the States,
almost every Office in most of the
States Ooing made elective. Presi.
dents are nominated aud voted for
with all the uproIr that the con-
servative trainers of our Constitu-
ton feared, and then the voting is
done over again by an Electoral
College that car defeat the popular
will as effectively as courts govern
ing by injunction, though not so
frequently.
The time has come IN this ooun-
try when the preponderating power
of classes will not be tolerated by
the existing spirit of pure Democ-
raey, actual control of govern
mental affairs by the people, is the
logic of our political history. If
freedom is to be a fact, the people
must rule directly. and not be
cheated by indireotion. They
must have the means Of initiating
and compelling the enactment of
wholesome laws, and the power to
call vicious legislation in question,
and defeat the same before 1t works
out spoliGtion of the masses for the
enrichment Of the classes. In
other words, direct Democracy de.
mands the initiative and referendum,
Minority representation would,
forsooth, be a measure fruitful of
good just now, since the majority
are Voicelsss in natural interests,
they could lay some claim to the
rights to be accorded the minority.
Bryan Democracy is Of the spe-
cios direct Democracy. Cleveland
mugWumpery is the pseudo-demoe-
Tacy that swallows the Mark Han
ma hippodrome aud strains at
silver dollar.
Shall the dream OF Democracy
be realized? Shall the people rule
and liberty survive, or despotism
prevail?
Shall JcffersoR's faith in the
people be the rock upon which we
shall build, or shall we perpetuate
Hamilton's ideal institutions Of
indirect government founded upon
mistrust Of the common people? /
ask these questions in the name Of
humanity, IN the name Of Justice,
IN the name Of the great Declar.
alton Of equal rights, ia the name
Of Christie golden rule Of universal
duty ask, shall the people rule
and liberty survive?
/ mean no adverse criticism
Of our Revolutionary forsfsth-
ers. They were the radical
Penn h1 fooue nnr,lo~.t. - Ill.,