The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-17
/. The church controlled the
wealth. fashion and intelli-

science.
Curses loud and curses black were
hurled at him. He was denounced as
DESTROYER of society. an enissary of the
devil and an enemy of God.
The word anarchist had not yet oeen
coined into a weapon for towards to use
in behalf of established wrong. but every
epithet that the vocabulary Of the age at-
forded was applied to him.
The weaklings of fashion avoided him
and stupid responsibility held its hands In
horror. Every argument, every intiu-
ence. every inducement was used to dis
A weak man would have yielded: a
timid one would never have begun; sell
fish man would have compromised. But
Jefferson kept his eye fixed on the slar
of eternal right and would not turn aside
for moment.
WHAT JEFFERSON DID.
Education in the colony of Virginia was
largely in the hands of the clergy and
was a source of profit and power Oniy
the well-to-do could afford TO educate
their children. Jefferson established free
public schools to be supported by taxa
ton So comprehensive and thorough
was his system that it became the model
| generally followed in America This great
achievement was not only opposed by
the church. but 1t arrayed nearly all
wealth against him. The idea of COM
pelling one man to help pay for the edu-
cation of his neighbors' children was de-
nounced as demagogical and unconstitu-
tional. 1t was atheism, socialism, ROB-
berry 1t required conscience, courage
and character to face such opposition,
done nothing except to establish the
| three. great reforms l have named he
| would have been entitled to the everlast-
ing gratitude of mankind.
In time Virginia adopted a new consti-
tuition which he helped to frame, Into
this he sought to incorporate the system
which today is called the referendum, "
the principle of direct legislation by the
IJa hat Ia c
legislature should under certain cond1-
tions be submitted to the people for their
approval or rejection. He was overruled
inNthiS. 1t is claimed that the ever
watchful slave interests feared such a
measure and defeated it, But the fact
that he favored it shows the wonderful
insight and foreknowledge of the man.
We feel that he had an inspired vision
of conditions that were to come a CEN
tury later. Here is the key, to Jeffer-
sons mind; here is the corner stone Of
his political fabric, and the touchstone Of
his political philosophy. Leave every
thing to the people; the people can be
trusted; they may err, but they will right
themselves.
rience has taught ug namely, that repre-
sentative government is not government
by the people. True, the people elect
their representatives, but they cannot
themselves against betrayal or robbery
by their own representatives. The bribe-
giVer could not corrupt ali of the people,
but he could bribe half a hundred, and
even the full hundred and when he does
the people are helpless.
DIRECT LEGISLATION.
Had the principle of direct legislation,
as proposed by Jefferson, been incorpor-
ated into the constitutions Of America,
federal, state and municipal, so that the
people could have checked their repre-
sentatives, there. would have been no in
ducement to bribe a legislature or de-
bauch a city council.
Consequently, we would not have had
forty years carnival of debauchery' and
dishonor, a carnival whose history can
only be written in shame on the pages
of infamy.
Had the principles of direct legislation
been in force throughout the land, we
would not today be confronted with ques-
tionS that alarm our people, and free in
stitutions would not have been brought
to the precipice of destruction by q Nc
Kinley administration.
1 can only refer to the prodigious labor
Jefferson performed as a member of the
committee on correspondence which
brought the different colonies togther and
paved the way for independence Here,
again, the wealth-the fashion-the con-
serYatisna-the respectability, favored the
Tories. The agitators were despised and
looked upon as a rabble of demagogues
and mischiefmakers, but he saw justice
on that side. and gave his life to the
cause.
You are familiar with his great papers
simply to see how he stood on the ques-
ton which confronts us.
His heart made, his brain shaped and
his hand wrote the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, pronounced by all the states
men Of the earth as the greatest charter
| of human rights ever given to men. For
one hundred and twenty-five years it
was held sacred as Holy Writ, and the
only diScordant sounds heard today come
from few sharks and their pocket poll
ticians. This immortal document has
thrown light has
lifted the hopes of all people, and 1t will
illumine the skies of all the centuries
We get here the great principle that all
men are born equal, and that govern
mentS derive their just powers FROM the
consent of the people. No government
by brute force, and no taxation without
representation. Every breath he drew
was a protest against militarism and ar
bitrary government. When the constitu-
ton was framed he was abroad, but ex-
pressed alarm over the manner of Great
ing the federal judiciary. Here was a
coordinate branch Of the government
that was neither republican or demo-
archial in character, practically respon-
sible to no one and holding Office for life
DEFENSE OF BRYAN.
This is not a year in which politicians
can deliver. Even the Democracy of the
East is Strengthening its spine. To sim
ply say that we are Democrats may
sound laconic, but unless we stand for
something definite that earnest men and
earnest women can lay hold on in life,
unless we offer hope to the toiling suf-
fering, sorrowing children of men, we will
be despiSed by mankind.
What is it that gives Mr.. Bryan such a
hold on the Democracy of America as no
man has had since the days of Jackson
1t is his principles and his earnestness.
There is no hero worship about it, They
favor the principles he advocates and
have absolute confidence in his honesty
and courage. He is an idol not a hero.
People love him because he sympatnizes
with them. hear some good men say.
why could not Bryan consent to modify
some features of the Chicago platform
so that we could all unite and then we
could win? My friend, you have simply
read the newspapers and have not stud
/ led the conditions. You have not heard
the earnest heartbeats Of our people The
moment Mr Bryan consents to modify
! the Chicago platform in any particular,
that moment he is destroyed. He would
/ at once sink to the level of the ordinary
! politician, who was trimming his sails
| to catch votes. He would at once cease
! to be the idol of the Democratic heart
! Now you respect him for his sincerity
then you would despise him for his weak
| ness.
Look around. You can count hundreds
! of able, learned and eloquent men who
hold high place in the Democratic coun-
/ CHS and are today WaySlde wrecks hidden
! in dust because in the supreme hour of
/ trial they wavered
! No, If you are weary of the MCKINLEY
cant and hypocrisy-if you believe i'm the
! Declaration of Independenca-i Won 'xyi,F,
/ tions to your children-then take hold and
/ help to overthrow this reign of dehaueh-
cry, destruction and death.
| Mr.. Altgeld will remain in Albany until
! tomorrow afternoon, when he will take
| the 4:20 o'clock train for the West. Dur