Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-12-16
is 1T A FAILURE?
DOES THE GOVERNMENT PRO.
TECT PEOPLES INTERESTS7
A writer in the New Time Magazine
thinks II does not protect aud suggests
the referendum as the only remedy.

In an article in the November num-
Der of the New Time Hon. G Barlow
M. G. writes that representative gov
ernment has proven failure. He says
that to many the statement may seem
exaggerated but it any one who doubts
it will lay aside his prejudices and
look at things as they are, not as they
should be, he must admit that the leg
islation of the past generation in this
country justifes the position taken. A
representative form OF governmszt
must be one which will protect the
rights Of the people and defend them
against the unjust methods of those
who would despoil them. 1t must be
one that can refer all its acts to the
people with full confidence that they
will indorse them by the stamp of their
approval.
Have we such government Are
the people protected in their rights?
Is the equality OF all men, guaranteed
by the constitution, defended against
the interests that are endeavoring to
obtain control OF all Gods gifts to
free people? Is lit not fact that when
public questions are to be acted upon
by the so-called representatives of the
people that the interests of the whole
people are not for one moment consid-
cred, but that, at the sacrifice of the
rights of humanity, decisions are made
in the interest of some man or set of
men?
1t matters not how much we Ameri-
cans may dislike to admit the truth in
this matter, circumstances are such
and present conditions so unjust, that
we cannot longer deny the fact that
representative government is failure.
When pitted against the combinations
Of capital, whose representatives are
even on the alert to guard the special
privileges they have been hired to fos-
ter, the alienable rights of the people,
Is guaranteed by the constitution, are
ignored.
Mr.. Barlow says: "In the last extra
session of Congress | have been care
full observer, and without hesitation or
fear of successful contradiction, l
charge that every concession demand
ed by trust or combine, when backed
up by proper efforts, has been granted.
On the other hand, when any attempt
wns made to tighten the burdens of the
wealth producers, who, as the years
roll by, are being ground finer and
and finer between the mill stones Of
capital and competition; such action
has brought upon the head of the dar-
ing lndiyidual who attempted to hon
estly perform his duty to his constitu-
ents, the scorn of the powers that be,
while his every effort was doomed to
failure and he found himself in meas.
ure ostracized.
A man in congress who today battles
for the people and tries to faithfully
voice their wishes is designated n
crank, while many think him a menace
to our country and person with
whom it would be dangerous to asso-
ciate.
A true representative of the people
Ia one who has the courage to call at
tention to the corrupt methods and
practice of those men who have for
years acted as REPRESENTATIVES of the
people, but who in reality have been
false to their constituents, false to
their country and false to themselves.
Briefly, these are the existing condi-
tions. Now for the remedy. A man is
not justified in calling attention to an
evil unless he is prepared at the same
to point q remedy. In this case the
remedy is q simple one-adopt the ref
erendum, and let the whole people
rule. The trend of public opinion to-
day Is all one way-toward govern
ment of the people, not, as some think,
toward a monarchy, Every American
feels that the whole people can be
trusted, but many have come to the
conclusion that we have trusted few
Of them long enough, aye too long.
The heart of the masses is to be trust
ed at all times. To deny this is to adj
NIT that republican form Of govern
ment is a failure. The closer we bring
the details of the government to the
people, the more fully will it represent
them, and the more readily it will re-
Spond to their wishes.
Let any one recall the gross viola
lions of the peoples rights that have
occurred within their own state, prob
ably in their own city or county, and
they will at once concede il the people
could have expressed an opinion on
the measures which authorized such
violations they would have unani-
mously rejected them. The giving
away of franchises to corporations,
which gives them power to tax with
out mercy generations yet to come, is
one Of the greatest crimes that have
yet been perpetrated against the peo-
pie. believe am justified in saying