The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-26

the time at least of franchises. inherit
ances. and incomes.
| ''Fourth-Mouey (gold, silver, or paper)
issued by the Government only, full legal
| tender and in quantity sufficient to main
! tain the normal average of prices.
| 'Fifth-Anti-m ilitarism.
The intent of the first plank OF the
| platform is simply to make our Govern
| ment in fact what it has always been in
| theory-a Government of the people, by
| the people, for the people. Every party
when seeking the votes Of the people is
| always careful to profess devotion to this
! idea. Nevertheless. in practice it is gen.
| orally government by a minority OF the
| people. and this government exercised by
| representatives of this minority. whose
! action is usually shaped by the demands
| OF the Weather classes whose interests
are assumed to be one with the interests
Of the whole Practically. therefore the
people are not in it. The government is
neither OF. for, nor by them. In practice
it is really a government Of the rich, by
the rich, for the rich.
A Common DeIusion.
''In saying this / do not mean to imply
that our legislators generally and con-
sciously sell their votes and influence to
the dominant classes. / do not believe
this. l believe rather that they usually
imagine they are best serving the interests
Of the masses than promoting the pruz-
perity Of the classes. II is the common
delusiou Of our Congressman. who ought
TO be statesmen but unfortunately ere too
generally only politicians, that the masses
are indebted for what prosperity they have
to the wealthy classes, to the men woo
organize the great enterprises OF the conn
try and furnish employment to the tcilefs.
They overlook the fact that these classes
use all the special privileges which they
secure tand secure protes sed.y in the CON
n on INTEREST," in monopOiizing natural op
pOrtunities; in shutting the poor man out
from access to the soil, and from every
possible avenue of self-empioyme They
do not seem to be aware tuat it is the set
tied and deliberate policy Of these captains
of Industry to bring the masses into con-
dition Of absolute dependence upon then
for the chance to obtain a subsistence.
You may, II you can. put like charitable
construction on the action CT these cap
tains aud eXploiters Of industry. You may
say that they look upon the masses as
really incompetent to make employment
for themselves; that they havel't the
brains, the energy, or the thrift that a
requisite to the improvement Of natural
opportunities, and that the leayiug Of these
bptu " luttu NOulb SIMPLY mean leaving
them unimproved and unproductive. But
II must certainly be admitted that the use
which the dominant classes make Of the
privileges they secure, do not warrant US
in believing that altruistic purpose plays
any large part in their monopo.izing move
ments.
1t Is now being more and more clearly
perceived by thoughtful persons that no
vital or adequate change in the interest
OF the whole people can possibly be eff
fected through the machinery CT rep-e-
sentative government as now constructed.
We must have direct legislation. The
people must have opportunity to initiate
legislation when they deem it impor-
tant, and to vote upon all measures mi
tiated by cOuncilmen, legislators. or Con-
sressmen. This puts the law making pow
er directly in the hands OF the pc Pile, and
makes them thoroughly responsible fer ex-
listing conditions "