The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-09-07

own merits, the recognition Of tn
government as being either for n
poor as such or for the rich IS sucl
would prove fatal 10 our republic. a
swh failure and such recognluo
have always proved fatal in the pas
10 other republics. A healthy repul
Hoan government must rest upon IN
diyiduals not upon classes or sec
tons As soon as Il becomes govern
meut by a class or by a section |
| departs nom the old American idea
Neither Anarchy Nor Tyranny.
). Il is. Of course. the merest truisn
TO say that free institutions are o
avail only TO people who posses th'
high and peculiar Characteristic
needed TO take advantage OF such in
situations. The century that has JUS
closed has witnessed many and
lamentabie instances in which PEG
pie have seized a government free IN
form. or have had II bestowed upon
them, and yet have permitted II un
der the forms OF liberty TO become
some species OF despotism or anarchy.
because they did not have in them
the power TO make this seeming liber.
ty one OF deed instead OF one merely
% word. Under such circumstances
the seeming liberty may be supplanted
by a tyranny or despotism In the
FIRST place, or Il may reach the road
OF despotlsm by the path OF license
and anarchy. II matters but little
which road is taken. In either case
the same goal Is reached People
show themselves Just as unfit for lib
erty whether they submit to anarchy
or TO tyranny; and class government.
whether II be the government Of a
%plutocraoy or the government OF a
mob. IL equally incompatible with the
principles established in the days OF
Washington and perpetuated in the
days OF Lincoln.
Many qualities are needed by a peo-
pie which would preserve the power
OF self-goyernment In fact ms well as
In name. Among these qualities are
forethought. sh~rewdness. self-re.
%straint, the courage which refuses to
abandon ones W rights. and the dis.
Interested and kindly good sense
which enables one TO do justice to
the rights OF others, Lack OF strength
and lack OF courage unfit men for self.
government on the n hand; and on
the other. brutal arrogance. envy. In
short, any manifestation OF the spirit
Of selfish disregard. whether OF ones
own duties or OF the rights OF others,
equally fatal.
In tho history OF mankind many re
publlcs have risen, have fiourlshed
for n less or greater time, and then
have fallen because their citizens lost
the power OF governing themselves
and thereby OF governing their state;
and In no way has this loss OF power
been so often and so clearly shown
as In the tendency to turn the gov.
eminent into a government primarily
for the benefit OF one class instead OF
a government for the benefit OF the
people as a whole.
Government Knows No Glass.
Again and again In the republics OF
ancient Greece, and in those OF
medieval Italy and medieval Fland.
ers, this tendency was shown. and
wherever the tendency became a habit
Il Invariably and inevitably proved
fatal To the State. In the nnal result
Il mattered not one whit whether the
movement was In favor OF one class
or OF another The outcome was
equally fatal, whether the country fell
into the hands OF a wealthy oligarchy
which exploited the poor or whether
IL foil under the domination OF a
turbulent mon which plundered the
rich, In both cases there resulted
violent alterations between tyranny
and disorder and a anal complete
loss OF liberty 10 all cltizens-destruo-
ton In tho end o~vertaking the class
which had for the moment been victor
ious rs well as that which had momen.
tarily been defeated. The death knell
OF the Republic had rnng as soon as
tho active power became lodged in
tho hands OF those who sought not
TO DO Justice 10 all citizens rich and
poor alike but to stand for one special
class and FOR It's interests as opposed
10 the interests OF others
The reason why our future Is as.
surod lies IN the fact that our people
are genuinely skilled In and fitted for
self.government and therefore will
spurn the leadership OF those who
seek to excite this ferocious and fool
ish class antagOnism. The average