The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-07
TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 1904
ALL DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE

NIL YIN
We are getting wearisomely familiar
with such statements as that of Presi-
dent Raymond, of Union college, in his
baccalaureate sermon. There is half
resentful and half despairing tone in
the comments heard everywhere upon
the advance of corruption in political
life in America. Too frequently the
conclusion reached is that expressed
by President Raymond in these words:
by Mr.. Steffens. for instance, we can
not discredit the evidence which he
places in detail before u.s. When to
these we add the facts which come
within our own observation, we are
forced to believe that the government
of the people by the people for the peo-
ole, for which the fathers fought, is
today more of a theory than a reality"
Whatever of truth or of falsehood
there may be in this melancholy con-
clusion, it is important to fix the re-
sponsibility and to apportion the blame.
The curse of American politicaI-dis-
cussiOn has been the shifting of this
responsibility from the shoulders of
those at least partly guilty. If corrupt
men obtain office it is because the peo-
pie knowing them to be such, never
theless elect them. If corporations
control legislation and are powerful in
determining the destiny of parties, it is
still because the people as a whole are
not strong enough, true enough and
pure enough to throw off such influ-
ence
1t is vapid and false and almost
criminal to preach to the people doc
trine that would exonerate them from
their own fault 1t is hardly short of
treason to say to those who have
abused or neglected the privileges of
citizenship that they are excused for
their default by encroachments of cor
porate power. In a government like
ours the people are all powerful Whom
they Will they can exalt, and whom
they will put down. The character of
their laws and the quality of their rul-
ers will reflect accurately their own
mental and moral condition.
Let us repel and banisn at once the
preposterous proposition that anybody
in republic can force upon the peo-
pie government unpalatable to them.
Within three months from this date the
people of the United State could, if they
chose, make their government ideal
They-and when we say they we do
not mean the party managers or the
bosses or the political workers or the
parties, but the great omnipotent body
of the voters themselves-could sweep
away before the end of this year every
yestige of corporate influence, throw
out of office every tool of power. and
make this government a shining model
for the rest of the world. All thew
have to do is to be true to themselves
and to the highest law of the republic.
and to band together to elect, regard
less of party or other considerations.
only men who, like themselves, can an
swer to that test, to any place Of trust
or power in the republic That being
done, the problem is solved; and gov
eminent of the people by the people
and for the people" not only re-estab-
lished, but made glorious as no gov
eminent ever yet has been.
Suppose the men of Revolutionary
times had shut themselves in their
counting rooms or stayed on their
farms and whined interminably that