Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-11-02
FORUM.
The Duty Of the Voter.

ELM, OCt. -, lJUO.
ED. STANDARD:
Eternal vigilance is the price OF
Liberty" l believe it is not only q
privilege but duty for every voter in
a republic to show his hand at the
polls. No man has a right to shirk
the responsibility of a voter, and he
should have the privilege OF exercising
his own judgment as to how he shall
cast his ballot and for whom.
But there is many vote cast
through error Of judgment. l want TO
warn the voters against voting for any
amendment TO our State Constitution,
without careful investigation. espe.
cially as to rights of "eminent do.
main." Corporations have too much
latitude now.
There is another matter to which
wish to call the attention of the voter
and that is Socialism. There seems
to be a general trend in that direction,
and believe most of the Socialists are
acting in good faith and really believe
they are right az much as We Demo
Gratis. So far as conditions are con.
cerped. they are right, but in my hum
bic opinion their remedy won't fill tie
bill for this reason: The act which
seeks to make government the sole
agent OF production, is nothing less
than proposal to re-establish the
institution OF tyranny and industrial
slavery which persisted before the ad-
vance of Christian civilization. The
very essence OF despotism is to vest in
the State absolute control of all indus
try, and therefore. ownership OF all its
products; while the essence OF Democ.
racy is to confirm in every man the
right to dispose of his own labor and
possess in peace everything produced
by it. What is there wrong with De.
mocracy? Is not every man entitled
TO what he produces? The Socialist
says, He don't get it," True enough.
Is it because of Democracy? Not on
your life. Is it because our govern.
ment is not founded ON the eternal
principle OF Justice" NO. 1t is be.
cause the party in power has trampled
under its feet, figuratively speaking,
the eternal principles OF the best gov.
eminent ever established by man and
has wrenched from the Statue of Lib
erty the Scales of Justice. 1t has a.
lowed monopoly to rear its dragon
head in every corner of the United
States. 1t has violated the cardinal
principles OF the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, in denying to the PHILIPPINES
"the consent Of the governed" 1t has
openly violated the amended constitu.
ton by allowing slavery to exist under
the, dominion Of the government. 1t
has suspended the writ of habeas cor.
pus and allowed kidnapers to take
men from one State to another, and
cast them in prison and keep them
there for months without trial. 1t has
bought votes in the open market and
perpetuates its power by forcing COR
porations OF its own creation to con.
tribute millions of dollars for the cleo.
ton of its dupes, and yet it has the
brszen effrontery to proclaim itself the
God and morality party.
No wonder the country is filled with
isms. Drowning men will grab at
straws. or anything else. But gentle
men, Socialism won't save the country.
It will plunge it into revolution, and
and finally result in anarchy, the one
thing most dreaded. The only thing
that can save this country is a return
to the principles enuniated by the
Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution of the United States the
principles for which our fathers fought
bled and died the principle proclaimed
to day by the good old Democratic
party, led by that intrepid leader and
statesman, Mr.. Bryan.
n Goo