St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-05-01

neeQ TO Tedu Tue uSluOCIdllC pldIIOrUl.
For their benefit let me say it was in the
Nebraska platform ten years ago; in
Maine they are going to vote upon it at
the next election and it almost passed in
New Jersey. Some one said theinitiative
and the referendum was a new democrat
tic drink and when that was announced
it was adopted unanimously. The
initiative is the process by which the
people are enabled to obtain an express
sion of their views on question and the
and the referendum is the medium
through which they sit in Judgment on
questions submitted to them. When the
people have it in their power to compel
a referendum there will not be such
great need oft. For when you can do a
thing yourself, your servants will be
more ready to do it for you. If the
governor has veto legislation, should |
not the people have that power as well.
The people may make mistakes but they |
have right to. They will not make
mistake Intentionally and the minority |
may. Now almost everywhere city |
councils have to submit to the people any
proposition to sell franchise.
1t won't hurt you unless you need it.
They have it in Switzerland and don't |
use it much. That's the beauty of it.
They don't use it where they have it.
1t is of the greatest Importance to un-
derstand the principles of democracy
The application of those principles can
be considered afterwards. All truth is
self evident and the best service you can
render truth is to state it clearly so you
will need no argument to convince. IT
you get the truth and state it clearly,
you will receive the support of those who
are not influenced by pecuniary reasons.
In order to discuss question we must
find some principle upon which we can
all agree. We all agree on the principle
that all men are created equal. 1frepub-
licans object to this principle as coming
from Jefferson, he would remind them
that it was quoted in the platform upon
which Lincoln was elected. If this doc
trine of equal rights to all and special
privileges to none is wrong, then we are
all at sea- The application of that prin-
ciple will solve all of the problems with
which we have to deal.
Applying this principle to taxation, he
agreed with Adam Smith that every man
should pay in proportion to the benefits
he received under the protection of the
government A tax upon consumption
is an unjust tax on the poor.
Injustice in the distribution of taxes is
larceny under the name of law. When
law is just in principle, it may be unjust
in it's application. The man with visible
property, who is burdened with taxes
has to work longer than he ought while
the prosperity of the man with invisible
property is increased. We make stag
ger at Justice in our local taxation but
our federal taxation through the imposi-
ton of revenues on necessities is abso-
lutely without justice. The system of
federal imports lays the tax on the need
and not on the ability to pay.
He thanked the President for his stand
on the income tax and believed he should
still live to see it. While the Supreme
Court had declared the income tax I'M
constitutional, he reminded his hearers
that their opinion of its unconstitutional
ity was upon some of the amendments
to the bill and not the original bill which
he supported when in Congress.
He then briefly sketched the history of
lllC ldIlu lliC wall paying lC-
spects to the infant industries which
needed the tariff at first, but were so
prosperous now that they did not need
protection but still had it. The babe
leaves his mothers breast, the calf refuses
to suck, but the infant industry sits on
his mothers lap until he dies of old age.
Look at the greatest trust in the world,
the United States Steel Company, and
don't care how you spell it. Their net
earnings in 1906 were $156,000,000 or
% per cent of their capital, while they
paid 100000 less than that for
labor. Comparing this concern with
your scale company in the latter case the
dividends are five times less than what
the men receive in wages every year. So
the average man does not get much out
cf the protective tariff. And it is impos-
sible for the people to get any benefit
from special legislation
In giving few moments to the discus
sion of the railroads he called attention
to their over capitalization, and said
when the President had the courage to
demand change the railroads stopped
their rebates. He said the railroads
ought to make good now, as by stop
ping discrimination they could turn the
rebates into their own treasury, and by
stopping passes made it again by get
ting the money for the fares. He con-
demned such management OF railroads
as tends to make of them mere money
making devices with no thought given to
the rights or privileges of the people.
l thank the President for calling atten-
ton to the most important question of
all in this discussion and that is the
matter of swollen fortunes. Special leg
islation and special privileges are the
cause of swollen fortunes which are con-
trary to the Divine plan of awards.
You do not find the swollen fortunes in
that great class of average men that
have been describing. We have them
because the average man does not do his
duty at the polls. The greatest work of
the average man is to restore Gods law
so that every one may draw from the
worlds resources reward commensu-
rate to his labors. Then will be attained
what Jefferson and Lincoln strove for, a
government of the people, by the people
and for the people.
ColBryan received prolonged applause
at the close of his address and through.
out his speech he was frequently inter-
rupted by cheering. He has way of
telling stories that has been compared to
Lincoln and his stories were apt and
always elected hearty laughter.
George Fred Williams gave scholarly
address on government ownership OF