The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-09-14


that governments derive their just powers
from the consent OF the governed. and the
people have an easy and ready means Of
correcting all abuses. the government viii
not need 10 be supported by "A large perma-
nent standing army. for every citizen will
be ready 70 defend such a government from
attack. The only domestic use Tor "a large
standing army IL to suppress by force
that discomfort which should be cured by
legislation.
ITO support a permanent army OF 100. 90
men requires approximately one-half as
much money az Is annually expended for
education In the United States. How much
cheaper 1t Is to uplift people by the gentle
and peaceful process OF intellectual de-
velopment than TO blow them UP with
powder and dynamite!
imperialism involves a departure from
principles which were universally accepted
In this country until within two years To
know that all men are created equal one
needs not the wisdom OF a sage or the
learning OF the schools. IL was declared to
be a self-evident truth: II was evident 10
those who pledged their lives 10 the main-
tenance OF the declaration OF independence.
and 1t is evident still 10 those who are not
blinded by the glamour OF wealth and tho
glittering promises OF a colonial system.
IL all men are created equal and endowed
with .nalienable rights, IL follows as
logical and necessary sequence that gov
eTnmentS were instituted lOE thc WeiihaO
OF all and derive their just powers from
the consent OF the governed. On the pres
ervation Of this doctrine our hopes depend:
II IL Is abandoned there IL no foundation
upon which a government like ours can
be constructed.
'.Do not allow yourselves TO be deceived
by those who question the capacity OF this
people or that people for self-government.
Macaulay. in hts essay on John Milton.
points out the folly OF attempting TO pre-
pare people for self-govsrnment by deny
ing them the right TO participate In their
own government. He said:
Many politicians OF our time are in the
habit of laying II down as self-evidens
proposition that no peor3. ought TO be free
until they are fit to use their freedom. The
maxim is worthy Of the fool In the old
story who resolved not TO so into the water
till he had learned to swim II men are 70
wait for liberty till they become wise ana
good in slavery. they may indeed walt for
ever
when / say that those who distrust the
capacity OF the people for self-govern.
ment tend directly toward monarchy, am
only repeating what Lincoln deliberately
declared in his first annual message. He
said.
Monarchy itself Is sometimes hinted
at as a possible refuge from the power OF
the people In my present position I could
scarcely be justified were ] TO omit raising
a warning voice against this approach OK
returning despotism- II Is not Leeded nor
fitting here that a general argument shouio
be made in favor OF popular Institutions:
but there Is one point. with Its connec-
tons not so hacknoyed as most Others. 10
which ask brief attention II is the effort
to place capital on an equal footing with.
II not above, labor, In the structure OF gov
eminent - No men living are more
worthy to be trusted thar those who toll
ls.A e,- cA IN "a a
or touch aught which tiny have not hon.
estiy earned. Let them beware OF surren.
dering a political power which they already
possess and which. IL surrendered. Will
surely be used to close the door OF adj
vancement against such as they. and to
fix now disabilities and burdens upon them
till all OF liberty shall be LOST
1.-The warning is even more needed now
than IL was 40 years ago. The Army ana
Navy Journal Is already 1uetfying the
colonial idea. and declaring tfat fate has
decreed for us a destiny In which an I'M
perial executive. free from the restraints
Of a written constitution. will govern SUBJ
lects according TO his own pleasure The
United States Investor. published at Bos-
ton. In its issue OF July Is. says:
"'Only a blind person can fail TO see that
remarkable transformations OF one kind
or another are I'm store for the race: hence
the folly of asserting that the policy Of this
y, -
leading part In human AFFAIRS Of the future.
shall be governed for the most part ~
political maxims uttered more than 10
wears ago. The greatest evil which now
confronts this republic Is the clamor raised
by a certain faction for settlement Of our
problems OF state by 1ust such method
as we have been deprecating. Consider
ably more than century ago a certain
notable declaration was made In this ooun-
try to the effect that all men ought 70 be
free and independent. This Is merely
generalization of the French school OF
Noltaire and the encyclopedias. IL .
dictum absolutely lacking foundation IN
history and incapable of syllogistic justin
cation. 1t was however. handy phrase
for us to employ when asserting our right
TO break away from the mother country:
IL suited the exigencies OF our situation
In l116 admirably. though in itself but a biz
OF sublmated demagogism. The declara.
ton was a serviceable means to the END
that was at that time desired. To bring
forward this declaration in this year. l'vv.
IN connection with our treatment of thu
Filipinos and the Cubans is as gross an
absurdity as ever was practiced- TO DO
so Is TO ofTer an insult to the intelligence
OF the people who first subscribed to the
declaration In question
.But why quote from newspapers as 70
what may be done hereafter in the pres
ence OF q law already enacted which makes
subjects out of Porto Ricans, witndraws
from them the guarantees OF the constitu-
ton and asserts the power OF the pres.
ident and congress to govern them without
their consent and tax them without rep
resentation-a power as unlimited ana
tyrannical as was ever asserted or excr-
cised by any ruler in all the history OF tho
human race. This doctrine has not yet
been approved by the people, IL furnishes
the supreme question OF the present CAM
paign. In the presence OF these perils the
laboring man has responsibility COM
mensurate with his opportunity. Without
large percentage OF the laboring vote
no party can win an election In the United
States The men who work for wages can
by throwing their votes on the one side
or the other determine the policy OF this
country. They need not march In parades:
they need not adorn themselves with the
insignia OF any party. but on election day
their silent ballots can shape the destiny
OF this nation. and either bring the govern
'ment back TO its ancient land marks or turn
II into the pathway followed by the en-
pires OF the old world"
Lucky strikes.
Miners returning from Alaska dig.