Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1905-11-10
Nothing Old or Out
Of Date.

| ana by barter, what Cney ala not
care to undertake in the open.
Can convention of citizens be
held without being overridden by the
slaves of favoritism and the syco-
phantic beneticiaries of free trans
portation? The political conventions,
state legislatures and the congresses
of the United States to be converted
| into cattle yards?
These exhibitions are a travesty
on popular government.
President Roosevelt makes his ap-
peal to the people of the whole Unit
ed States. There is no cry of VEN
geance in his words He does not
address himself to passion. Against
all excesses he lifts a warming finger.
He has mighty pressure upon him
from within and from without. The
craze of friends is more to be dread
ed than the rage of enemies.
But the lineup is going on. For?
Against?
The corporations are standing in
their own light. They are standing
in the way of honest and sane govern
ment. They are standing in the way
Of the march Of truth, and if they do
not sidetrack they will be run down.
Tile corporations have not lack Of
debaters.
They have many men whose salaries
are earned in the intellectual struggle
to make the worse appear the better
cause. They have brought the courts
under suspicion. They have clouded
the regulations of the agencies Of
the people for self government. They
have assumed the divine right of
kings, employing millions of dollars
in lieu of millions of men in arms.
They are wrong. They are wrong
to themselves-as surely so as the
Judgment day is coming.
There must be change. There
must be change or patriotic citizens
will give over the fight against
socialism; or, if not so, they will be
borne down by the mob-the un-
reasoning, unthinking mob.
Is this putting it strongly?
The last presidential election put
it strongly. The house of repre-
sentatives last winter put it strongly
and only awaits the opportunity to
do it again.
Put the question to referendum
of the people. Does anyone have a
doubt what answer would be return
ed? And what could be said-indeed,
! what is already said-in return?
That the people are not to be trust
ed; that they would confiscate prop
erty, that they hold up wealth for a
price-that the only safety is to give
them bait and bribe.
1t is in the public mind that Pres
ident Roosevelt is the leader in de-
fense of popular rights and in support
of popular government, and they
stand uncompromisingly to win or
lose.
Are the rights of corporate proper
ty in peril?
If they are the corporations are
answerable for the peril. If the peo-
pie are not to be trusted with the
conduct Of their own government and
the management of their own affairs,
then popular government is mis-
nOmer.
The people at all hazards are not
through with the experiment.
Hands off! is the warning cry.
The demand is for the rule of con.
science and opinion; above all that
! the most sacred rights of a free peo-
pie be not put up in the shambles to
| the higher bidder. The demand is
now for integrity. Fit shall be COM
promised under frenzy the corpora
tions will rue the day. The demand
now is for what is fair between man
and man, for conservative and honest
government-for law and other liber-
ty.
Extravagant things are said by the
people, as extravagant things are