The Republican journal., 1902-11-27
THE TROUBLES OF Mr.. UTTER.
T From the Denver, Colorado, Daily New.


simistic remarks before the Ministerial
Alliance last Monday seem to bear this
out. In discussion of the trust sys-
TEN he said:
"The corporations already fear the
common people. They fear them on
juries; they fear them at the polls; they
fear them in legiSlatures-not SO much
in this latter position, however, as they
have so often found them purchasable
thereto the shame of the common
people-and to the corporations.
''Some people hope that the trusts are
providentially preparing the way for
government ownership of most of ali
the great industries. This hope I do
not share. Railroads, telegraphs, water
works, coal mines-or some of these
may be taken over by cities, states. or
nation in coming years. At present we
haven't a government in city, county or
state here in the West anywhere that is
good enough to own anything so far as
l know"
Mr.. Utter does not believe in vox
pOpuli vox Del, nor that the Lord was
partial to the common people. else he
hadn't made so many of them, nor in
the common sense of most" He pro-
duces the impression of sharing the
Vanderbilt view of a proper method of
disposing of the ''herd," by which he
doubtless does himself an injustice.
The common people are frequently
very great trial to the uncommon peo
pie, and the uncommon people do not
realize that the affection is mutual.
The common people are very frequent
ly wrong, but they are eternally chang
ing in an attempt, as Myron Reed said
to "wobble right They slay the
prophets and return to worship at their
shrines; they deride Columbus and then
go and sell all their goods, that they
may follow him to the new world i'll
which they did not believe week be-
fore. 1t takes good deal to convince
them, but once convinced, they have
the courage OF their convictions. They
are not wholly admiral bic, strong, wise
and brave, but then we must mourn
fully admit that the great uncommon
ones of the earth have not been abso-
lutely above criticism, either. And
right here there is this great difference:
| the common people usually do the best
they know: they live up to the light
they have; they vote, wisely or unWise-
ly, in accordance with that they believe
to be right. It's the ''unco' guid'' who
know just what's the matter with the
world, and how its wrongs should be
righted, who sit snlgly at home and re-
fuse to do anything about it, save to
complain OF the stupidity of their fell
lows who are cropping about with rush.
light, when they ought to use the arc
light which is monopoliZed by these
self-appointed critics.
The common people are probably a
pretty bad lot, but then it should be
remembered that they have been de-
ceived and betrayed several times in
the last six or seven thousand years by
their exalted leaders. Benedict Arnold
could go over to the enemy but he
couldn't take his command with him.
Powderly could deliver himself, no
more. ''Just for handful of silver he
left us, just for ribbon to stick in his
coat" but the betrayer stands alone;
Judas is never popular. The common
people have tremendous powers of loyal
ty, even when it is misplaced, and loyal
ty, even to such poor stuff as the Pre-
tender, is always beautiful.
To say that there isn't single, honest,
intelligent or decent government of any
kind anywhere in the West, is a large,
loose, foolish statement. TO limit this
supposed iniquity to the West is a gra-
tuitous fling to a region that shines with
radiant purity when compared to the
hideous corruption that is prevalent
throughout the great Eastern Cities
There are goodly number of towns in
this state that own some of their utili-
ties, and have proved themselves quite
good" enough to conduct their own
affairs as we'll as any corporation could
do it for them. The water question in
the small town of Florence has not dis
turbed that whole community during
the past season as it lras in the city of
Denver. Durango is agitating the ques-
ton of the source of its supply, and will
shortly effect change for the benefit
of the people, without having to call in
a handful of private citizens to transact
the business for them.
One of the great sources of criticism
and faultfnding with the government
of the United States arises from the
fact that so large a per cent. of the
people live in the cities. Mr.. Utter
finds the condition in Denver not at all
to his liking, and jumps to the conclu-
sion that there isn't a respectable vii
lage on either mountain or plain; that
all state boards of equalization lean
toward their own interests, and all
county commissioners look alike to him.
the original David is that the psalmist
believed that the Lord would "save
Zion,' while this latter day David
doesn't think it worth saving All of
which means that the board of public
works wanted to cut down the trees
about his church, and the street sprink-
ling is not satisfactory On Sunday Mr..
Utter announced that he didn't believe
in woman suffrage; on Monday he fol-
lowed this up by this general arraign-
ment of the entire West. Verify, he is
another Hamlet: Man delights not me;
no, nor woman, neither" In cases of
this kind it is usually we'll to take some
thing for the liver. Podophyllin is the
sovereign remedy, and if this does not
remove the dark brown taste from the
mouth, and the indigo hue from the
glasses. try trip over the State There
are dozens of beautiful towns, clean,
well kept. we'll ruled, happy and con-
tented beneath the shadows of our
mountains, that are plenty "good
enough to own anything on earth.