Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-11-19
sELf-GoveRNMeNT PREFERABLE.

/
Of q sermon, namely: "5elf government
is preferable to good government" The
phrase was used in defending the wis
dom of the plan whereby man was
made free moral agent and left to
choose between good and evil, rather
than created as perf- being or plac
ed in an environment which made sin
impossible. There ia no doubt that a
Creator capable of making world conld
haye made man perfect and could have
relieved him of all temptation, but in
stead of that He placed man in a world
full Of temptation and made him re
sponsible for his conduct. Instead of be
ing placed under the arbitrary power Of
someone who would care for and pro-
tect him, he was left to govern himself
and made to suffer if he failed to govern
himself we'll. We do not find fault with
this arrangement of Providence nor do
we question the wisdom Of the plan.
There is Q Very evident analogy be-
tween the self-government of the indi
vidual and the doctrine of self-2overn-
ment in nations. AS the individual has
a right to make mistakes, the penalty
being suffering, go the people have a
right to make mistakes, pay ing the PEN
atty for lack Of wisdom. In no other
way can people be taught to take an &C.
tive and intelligent interest in public
affairs, and only by taking an interest
in public affairs can they perfect them.
selves In the art Of self-zovernment.
The people of the United States gov
ern themselves, and yet it is evident
that they make frequent INTAKES. The
republicans asserted in 1896 that the
PEG ole would make a mistake if they
elected the ticket nominated By the
Chicago convention and they further in.
sisted that terrible punishment would
follow the mistake. The democrats.
on the other hand asserted that the
people would make a mistake if they
elected the republican ticket Tney az
sert now that the people are suffering
from the mistake. The reign Of trusts is
direct consequence Of the republ Can
victory of 1896, AMI 60 is tie imperialis,
tic policy which has plunged this ma
ton INTO enormous ex penilture and led
1t to appropriate nearly forty times as
much for the army and navy az it tx.
ponds on the department of agriculture :.
The republicans are constantly assert.
ing that the election of a democratic
pre-i lent in 1892 brought hard times
and filed the country with soup houses
A msjority of the democrats are willing
to admit that the election resulted in
mistakes, but they insist that the mis-
takes of the democrats were made in
the adoption OF republican policies rath.
or than the carrying out of democl at C
theories of government. But these in
stances are cited only to show that We
recognize the liability Of people to make
mistakes, even WHEN 80 far advanced in
| civilization as the American p5 ople are
Who would be willing to accept foreign
domination even if assured that such al
len government would be absolu y
free from error?
Why not apply to the Filipinos the
same logic that we apply to ourselves?
" by not recognize that they have a
right to self government, even if they
are liable to make mistakes? Why not
recognize that the punish ent which
comes from those mistakes is in it, eff
an educating influence? Why not recog-
nize that self government, with all It's
imperfections, will be better for the FIJI
ipinos than any outside government
which could be forced upon them
against their will?
Not Only Ia self-government prefer.
able to good government" but among
mortals with tn cir selfishness aud short.
: sightedness self government is likely to
be better than any irresponsible govern.
ment, flor no nation can be selfish
enough to desire colonies and yet un.
sel6sh enough to govern them wisely.-
Bryan's Commoner.
HE charge made that i've illegal