The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-11-03
THE MDEPEHBENT VOTER

CThe following communication
was received from a star reader
and this paper Is thoroughly IN ac-
cord with the views expressed b.
ft-Edl
While political parties arr essen
tiai under our form ~ government.
that Is a divided sentiment and. In
consequence. a divided authority
the independent voter. after all -
the mainstay Of popular govern
rnent. II Il through his influence
rather than the partisan that pop
uiar institutions live aad thrive.
Prom the day that popular govern
menf was first Instituted away
back in tbs now almost foFE1ttrn
Roman ages. down % the present
time. the man who has had moral
courage 20 raise his voice agains,
what he considered wrong. or 70
face the teers Of a majority lhtnxl-
Gated with the success q long con
tinned power. has been the safety
valve OF gayerfSnent That man II
the independent voter. II IA through
his vote and his protest thas sxtrav-
agnnea ID checked and wrong uiti-
mately rlghted. Any man can hiepd-
" follow a leader and save the
task Of thought b. allowing others
20 think for him. but II takes both
moral courage and intelligence Of a
high order TO protest against such
methods
Independence OF thought or action
ir not always popular. for Il often
means the severance Of friendships.
but at the same time Il can be said
that every forward step that the
world has ever taken ia due 10 the
spirit Of Independence This is Just
as true Of government as Il II In
the world OF science.
The man who follows strictly In
the footsteps OF his predecessor.
without hSeding the changes OF the
hour. Is a social plodder. The indie
pendent voter says LET Us try. 4"
The blind plodder says What's the
sise" with the man Of Iudepend-
ence. everything Il possible. With
the man who accepts the dictnm Of
hts party without question, nothing
IA possible. With the independent
voter wrong Is wrong, no matter by
whom committed. With the party
slave II is only WONG when COM
mitted b. the other fellow. One
believes that wrong can be commit
ted by anybody. the other. like the
blind followers Of ancient ruiera.
believes that the king can DO NO
wrong" and his party Il the king.
But. fortunately for the great
American public. the theory Of "a
cred peraoroagcs and sacred parties
has never been accepted by the
great American voter. he can turn
down a person. or party. II need
be. without Jhe slightest concern
for he knows that the nation IL 50
great that Il can live either with OF
without the influence Of any man
or any party.
In the approaching campaign II Il
safe to say that no leEg than 100. 00s
democratic votes will be cast for
President Roosevelt. and yet ever
the EtauncheHt republicans admit
that the election OF democratic gov.
ernors In many republican states Il
certain. That IL the work Of the in.
dependent voter. Daring the last
20 years he has fnTnished many
surprises to both Of the old parties
in the state Of Oregon. where po-
liticai and economic conditions arr
about the same as they are in th'
state OF Washington. the lndepend
ent voter elected. first. Psnnoyer
and later Chamberlain. AZ demo
cratic governors IN years when tbs
state was from i. 900 10 $4,000 re
publican. The same Is true Of Cal
lfornIa. As the result Of an activ,
and offensive interest displayed By
crATTI Z EVE FAD NOCE