Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-01-25
FRIDAY MORNING, JAN. 25, 1907.

Another phase: When we 60 out
to campaign, we have platform and
the platform sets forth what the party
thinks ought to be done. Now why
do you have q platform? That the
people may know what the representa-
tive will do when he is elected. If we
believe that the representative should
be elected to think for the people,
why hamper him with a platform?
When we adopt that platform we be.
lieve that the representative is bound
by the will OF the people. In other
words it is established that he is a
servant and not q master.
THE FAULTS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
Now, the faults of our government
are not in the people themselves; the
faults are in the representatives Of the
people, and it is not because they lack
intelligence, for l am not flattering
the legislative body when 1 say that
all over this Union the members OF the
Legislature are not below the average
of the people in intelligence; if I said
that they were probably on an average
above the average intelligence Of the
people l probably would not be exag-
gerating, 80 that the faults of the
Legislature do not come from the lack
OF Intelligence; the faults OF the legis-
lator come from the fact that he may
put his own personal interests above
the interests of the people, whom he
serves.
Now, that is the weakness of legis.
lative bodies, and that is the thing
that has TO be observed always; that
The representative shall represent;
that the people shall be permitted to
speak through him, and that the voice
of the representative may be taken as
the voice Of those for whom he speaks.
THE UNSEEN POWER.
Now, we have for great many
years had the telegraph System. A
man would stand At an instrument
here and he would talk to . man at
another place and there would be a
wire between the two, and in legisla.
tive bodies we have sometimes seen
the telegraph principle illustrated.
The man in the legislature would
be at one end Of the machine aud the
fellow at the other end would not be
the people, but some other person for
whom the legislator acted. And there
was the wire; and the man in the
legislature was not free to do his own
will; he was the servant OF somebody
who put him there.
Now, we have more recently wire-
less telegraph, and think it illustrates
what we ought to have in the legisls-
ture. There is no com mmunication by
wire, but the message is transmitted
in this way: There are two instru-
ments, one here and one here Gndi.
cating), each attuned to the other,
and therefore the message that comes
from one instrument is taken by the
other. / think it would be q great
improvement if we conld do away with
the wire system and substitute the
wireless telegraph, where the legisla.
tor was attuned to the people go he
would catch the message. (Applsuse.) }
Now, this difference in the concep-
ton of q legislators duty manifests
itself in various suggested changes in
methods of government. If you start
upon aud believe in q theory, you
would naturally endeavor to make
everything conform 10 the theory.
Consistency is a powerful thing and
has q powerful influence upon the
human mind. If you will show me a
man who really believes in . great
fundamental principal applied 10 one
subiect-really believes in i'll will
show you man who will apply that
fundamental principle to every subject
where that principle appears. For
instance, il q man really believes 10
the doctrine that it is wrong to steal,
he not only applies it to chickens and
horses and money, but he applies it TO
everything where the question arises; |;
il the man really believes in the doc.
trine that it is wrong to steal. he sp.
plies the principle so as to include in
its operation all kinds of larceny,
grand larceny, as we'll as petty larceny.
LARGE THIEF IS GENIUS.
The trouble is we often amend the
command and make it read! Do not
steal on Q small scAle"; If the scale is
large enough, that is Q different ques.
tion, and l am not violating any con.
fidence when l tell you that as rule
it is safer to steal . million dollars
than hundred dollars.
II q man steals q hundred dollars
he is lust O common ordinary thief,
and nobody has any respect for him ;
but the man who steals . million dis
plays so much genius that is some
times excites our admiration for his
cunning and talent, and in our ad-
miration We sometimes forget it.
Now, if you have in your minds this
doctrine, that the representative is the
servant OF the people, it will lead you
to believe in all subjects that will con-
form to the principle.
There 10 one reform that I have been
interested in for many years, and it
has not become so broad q reform that
l can mention il without being &C.
cused of being . radical. 1t is the
election OF United States Senators by
direct vote OF the people.
When I first went to Congress that
had never been acted upon. Sixteen
years before Andrew johnson, 10 . mes
sage to Congress, had asked for that
reform. Now, before knew anything
about politics, Gen. Weaver, OF Iowa,
in 1882, think, had introduced res
olution in Congress proposing the
amendment. / went 10 Congress IN
1890, and at that time Congress had
never acted upon it, but the first Con.
gress 10 which l served had reached
the point where it submitted resolu'
tion by a two. thirds vote. The next
Congress did the same thing. The
two Congresses adjourned without &C.
ton, but the sentiment grew right
along, and finally another, and an
other, and another passed it; five
times the lower house, by a two-thirds
vote, adopted that resolution; twice
the House was Democratic, three times
it was Republican.
Now that gives the Republicans the
advantage in the number of houses
T. =.