People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1898-04-29

plish any until they get the power to
act
What is the use in appealing to the
people to do things which they have no
power to do?
II any reforms are to be accomplish
ed by the people, 1t is absolutely GER
tain that the people will have to get
the power first.
One of the difficulties in the way of
understanding this matter is the deep
seated impression that the people,
under our present system, have the
power to secure any legislation they
please, We have all been told from
childhood that this was government
of the people, by and for the peo-
pie. We have been taught that all pow
er was vested in the people. We have
been told that people could determine
what laws should be passed and what
laws should not be passed. Reformers
of all schools have charged the people
with being responsible for existing
evils, on the ground that they had the
power to remedy them.
1t has been very pleasant idea. We
have all liked to stand up and proclaim
that we were the sovereign rulers of
Americs, and that congresses and
presidents were only our servants hired
to do our will. We enjoyed the delu
sion and did not wish to be disillusion
ed. We were willing to take the res
possibility for all the wretched laws
that diegraeed our statute books. for
the sake of being able to claim that we
made the laws.
But while the process of dlsillusion-
ment has been slow and painful, it has
been making progress.
1t has been fashionable to talk about
the American citizen as an uncrewned
king, but the American citizen is be-
ginning to learn that he is not only
king without crown, but king with
out sceptre. king without throne,
king without power, q king whose
only privilege was to bear the respon-
sibility for the Ubiquitous acts of those
who were supposed to be his servants,
butswere really his rulers.
The people are beginning to learn
that they have no power to make laws,
whatever; that all they can do Ia to
elect men to make laws, and that when
these men are elected they will make
laws to suit them elves, regardless of
what the people have said.
The people are beginning to learn
thst they cannot even vote for princi-
pies through Representatives, because
the political convention determines
what principles each set of candidates
shall represent, and that even in voting
for representatives of principles (sup-
posing that representation would rep
RESENT they are only allowed choice
between different sets OF principles, no
one set of which may fully suit them.
They are Therefor beginning to real
ize that il they are to be responsible
for the government they must have
tho power to govern, and that if they
are to be responsible for the laws, they
must have the power to make laws.
Bat those who have not yet fully
4CbIA1SA w @ASH - S0AAkA$RS 1RASo &NA Oh
legged popular government is, and how
utterly ina possible it Is for the people
to effect Any reform when they are
shorn Of all the power to do anything,
do not grasp the force Of this maya-
ment and fail to understand the puY.
pose of these who are insisting that
the first step in effecting any reform is
to get the power.
They do not cnmprehend this because
they do not realize how utterly power
less the people are at the present time.
Therefore, when the advocates of
direct legislation claim that in order to
accomplish q reform we must secure
direct legislation, these persons imag-
inc that we are making direct legisla.
ton OF more Importance than other re-
forms, ard that we claim wonderful
things for direct legislation.
The fact is that we do not claim that
direct legislation will destroy the liq>
uor traffic, or remove poverty, or ovar~
throw monopoly, or prevent injustice.
We do not claim that direct legislation
will do any of these things.
We know that these thiogs and 9TH
ers will have to be secured by the en-
actment of laws for that purpose. We
know that the people will have to over
will have to overcome them by the en-
actmsnt of suitable laws.
But we also know that under our
present system the people have no
power TO enact any law, and know that
corrupt and irresponsible legislatures
will not enact them, Therefore we
propose that all the people unite in an
effort to secure power, so that they can
enact the laws.
And we are unable to see that there
is any extravaganza in that propo-
sition.-New Era
The Populists of Georgia have declar-
ed against the present party system
in their platform which appear@ein an
other column. Can any reasonable
Democrat produces a single argument
to show where they are wrong? Do
you want the law making power vest
I'd in the peaple, where of right it be-
longs? Does your neighbor favor snch
an amendment to our state constieu
tionP Cannot the people be trusted
or must they be "ruled" as is the case
in Spain and European monsrahiea
Argue the matter with your n9iFhbor
and show him how Democrats and Pop
ulists slike wcald reeeive eqaal treat
nent if our platform csn ba made into
law and If he is honest minded, no
viii vote with you-for the pssple as
s9ainat partyisIn.