The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-02-09

justice. and the legacy Of liberty left
iby the forefathers, and will lower them
| from their present high estate to the
degraded one of subjects to laws and
conditions over which they will have
no control. And whose fault will it be?
| The most dangerous element in poll
tics is not as is popularity supposed,
the bride giver, or the bride taker, be-
cause they are comparatively few in
number. But it is that great mass of
respectable "honest" citizenship that
will vote for vicious measures without
any reward.
| Suppose you had a certain work to
do that required the abilities of five
men, and had the wherewithal to pay
but one of them for his labor, you
would have hard time getting the
work done. Not SO with the monop-
olist, when he figures In politics he
hires about one-fifth of the voting
strength that he needs, and finds the
other four-fifths, ready to work for
nothing and pay for the privilege be-
sides. Thu. it is that about one-tenth
OF the voting strength can over-power
the other nine-tenths.
Ask the average voter Of the major
II ty party, what he thinks Of certain
| legislation, and he will tell you he
knows nothing about it. Ask him what
he thinks of the platform of his party.
He will tell you he hasn't read it.
Then ask him how he can vote intel
ll'gently, knowing nothing about what
is doing, and he will proudly tell
I. Y that his party bosses know what
| tt Y are about, and that he is willing
to leave the whole matter to them
knowing that it will be attended to
right
Such faith. Such perfect trust and
confidence, were 1t exercised in his
| God, instead of the idolatrous direction
! in which he does exercise it, would
save his fool soul from peraition.
And we are eternally finding fault
with the administration, as if it could
help itself? With the mighty power
lof the monopolist pulling in the wrong
direction, and the mighty force of the
majority Of the people, pushing in the
Isame direction. And the president is
often unjustly criticized He is ex-
pected to exercise super human powers
| in the trust busting" business. How
| he owing as he does his position to the
lfriendliness of the monopolist to him
personally, and the popular endorse
ment of trust rule by the people? Is
he more than human? Is he sort Of
demigod? Is he able, gigantic though
he be, to- stand against all the world
alone? Isn't he doing as we'll as could
/ he ovpootod & hopd;ooppad nc 10 ;o0
Take for instance his first public ut
terance after being assured Of his re-
election, when he said he would not
under any circumstances accept third
term. What was that but a rebuka
aimed at the SOLDERING flatterer and
| idOlator. 1t has come to a pretty pass
| in this country when the patriotism
and frmnesS of one man is all that
stands in the way of the change from
republic to kingdom.
Read his message-strange medley,
strange mixture of bad and good,
showing that the better nature of the
man was struggling for expression in
spite of his evil environment. Instead
LOT being criticized he is rather to be
pitied. He might be likened to a great
giant bound with many strong bands.
For in his struggles in the right
direction restraining cords seem to
tear and cut through the very tendons
of good intentions. Why should he
be required to make martyr of him
self by going up. against this awful
power alone? Let the people move in
the matter of the regulation of the
trusts first, and If they fail to do it;
then let the trusts rule chem forever
and ever. SID FORCE.