The independent., 1903-02-05

fact that from the first invasion ol
Caesar, 55 B. c., to the battle of Lewes
between King Henry III. and his
brother-in-law, Simon De Montpart
fought A. d. 1864, there was an un-
ceasing struggle upon the part OF
the people to obtain justice at the
hands of their rulers. True, it can
not be said that they received it in
full at this date, but this appears to
be the point in history where the king
was successfully ''bridled." Where
parliament and the king began to lose
some OF their unjust powers. Where
it became possible for truly reser-
vative body to assemble. This was a
reform that had been sought for thir-
teen hundred years, possibly longer.
Now consider the reverses suffered
during this period. View the times
when despots claimed the divine right
to rule as they pleased. See the num-
Der of lives lost in the continued strug-
gle to bring about one reform. Tho
convention called by Sir Simon the
righteous" in the winter of 1865 was
the nucleus of what Lincoln called
"a government of the people, by thC
people, for the people" was was new
er realized until the ratification of
the constitution of the United States.
As important as it was for the COM
mon people to be represented by those
who were directly responsible to them
they did not jump at and embrace
the idea suddenly, but every inch o.
ground between those who favored AM
those who opposed the house Of COM
mons was bitterly contested. | think
can guess what the result would
have been, had the friends of repre-
sentatiOn accepted as final, the re-
verses suffered by them. Again iii
l477 when William CaXton introduced
to England the art of printing the
most religious and best educated men
Of that day called it the ''black art
and alleged that it had it's origin with
the devil. The monks opposed it on
the grounds that it would destroy the
copying trade. So it can be seen that
selfish consideration will sometimes
cause men to !nterpOse serious ObJeC-
tiOnS to measures of reform calculated
to benefit a number of people much
greater than the number Offering the
objection. | am not willing to be-
lieve that men even at this late day
enjoy supernatural endowment
which enables them to rise above self
ishness in every case Other evidence
and by no means irrelevant evidence
is to be found in the fact that the
great habeas corpus ad subjiciendum
act passed under the reign of Charles
II. in 1879 by no means received the
support of all who were to be ben
Gifted by it. Certain it is that some
found fault with it and even expressed
a desire to have it repealed. So it will
be seen that it is not always selfish
motive that prompts men to combat
reform movement, but may very well
be ignorance of the beneficent results
to be obtained.
But | shall not confine myself to
English history for further citations.
| think | should weary in SO doing
A glance at the dark period covering
the alternate rising and falling of
justice in Great Britain causes ones
SOul W ItFOlI. ne Ouly IGdSOn l.
can get consent of my mind to per
use those gloomy pages is to better
enable me to enjoy the benign offer
ings of a republic. There the concur
rent action of the common people and
their rulers often eXtinguished the
light of noble souls. Here the grief
over the loss of great men has always
been shared by all, regardless Of party
afiIiatiOn.
There the aim has been to eXtort as
much money Q" possible from the peO-
pie wkO EeeGed it most. Here the
great object tas almost always been
to save to the eople as much of their
earnings as possible. There the great
desire has in q majority of instances
been tC keep the government as far
from the people as possible. Here the
ef1CrtS Cf all arc to bring the govern
meDt as near the people as practicable.
There they have claimed to rule by
divine right. heie they have always
Acknowledged the supremacy Of the
people and looked to them for the
right to rule. There they have
breathed the spirit of an empire
propped up with bayonets Here they
breathe the pure air and drink the
crystal waters Of a republic resting
upon the will Of the people. There
II l. I,