Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-13
The Right of Self Government.

store prosperity.
The Right of Self Governments.
Emerging from the monarchical
form of government, our fathers adopt
ed the representative form as what was
then believed to be the best expression
of self-government. 1t was effective,
for their day and for the conditions
which then surrounded them. Great
wealth was not the in the hands of the
few in this country; dire poverty did
not hold in its tolls the majority of the
population. here was sterling hon.
esty, a sound patriotism, splendid
zeal for the well being of others that
made 1.-THE ambition and the glord of
representative that he should jealous
ly guard and earnestly advance the in.
terest and welfare of his constituents
In our days conditions are sadly
changed. A small percentage of our
population holds in its grasp substan-
italy the entire wealth of the nation.
With this enormous accumulation OF
wealth there has developed intense
selfshness, a disposition to disregard
the interest of the masses, readiness
to use wealth for the overthrow of pub
lie right and the welfare of the COM
mon people, and for the Advancement
and upbuilding of the power and priv
ileges of the oligarchy. The develop
ment of trusts following upon the un-
exampled multiplying of corporation in
our midst, has served to accentuate
this evil tendency, and the disastrous
results that have followed it.
Corporate greed and rapacity" are
not the idle figures of speech; they are
sinister forces, constantly at work in
the body polite. Men who would
scorn the slightest dishonesty in their
private enterprises do not hesitate to
demand and receive the dividends earn
ed for them by corporate activities, al
though they know that these corpora
tions have secured their profits by
briting legislators, by suborning testi-
mony by prostituting courts, and by
levying tribute from the administrative
forces of government as a recompense
for campaign contributions and for the
coercion of the votes of their employees
in the interest of the party In power.
Venal legislation is as surely sap
ping the very life of our nation as the
virus of blood poison will destroy the
life of its victim. The courts are filled
with men trained in the habits of
thought which are pleasing to the
wealthy clientage of our great COM
munities, and who are perverting the
law to the overthrow of individual lib
erty and the subversion of private
right and thus moving surely to the
destruction of free government.
The difficulty in the present situa-
tion is that we cannot secure represen-
tatives in the administration of the
government in all its branches and are
proof against the approaches of corrup-
ton, the Establishments and adVant
ages of wealth preferred in exchange
for slight service. We cannot punish
the crime of bribery because we cannot
secure the evidence for it's demonstra.
ton in the individual case, nor reply
upon securing trial before jury Of
incorruptible men, in a court of cour-
ageous honesty and devotion to public
interest.
1t has seemed to us that the only
hope of escape from the evils which
are now upon us, constantly growing
and menacing the very life of the ma
ton, is in a modification of the system
Representative government, by bring
ing back the people to their natural
INTERCHANGEABLE right of self-goVern
ment.
We advocate the initiative, 80 that
the people NAV demand of right such
legislation as shall seem to them con-
ducive to the public welfare. We adj
vocate the referendum so that the peo-
pie may safeguard the granting Of
franchises and privileges, and may
have in their own power the absolute
right to exercise the veto upon corrupt
or inconsiderate legislation. We favor
the introduction of a system whereby
every official of the government, in ali
its branches, charged with participa
tion in the conduct of public affairs
shall be directly responsible to the peo
pie, elected upon limited tenure Of Of
Gee for but a single term and remova.
BILE upon the vote or legally expressed I
demand of the majority of the peopb
affected by the activities Of the ofiicia
inyolve1