Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-07-16
THE NATURE AND PRICE OF
REFORM

ing the same Tor the beneht OF the
readers of The Leader:
The new spirit is turning to the
secular Issues of regenerated politics
and citizenship. There ls already a
religion of democratic aspiration. 1t
is in the schools and universities. 1t
is in the hundred social and college
settlements. 1t is in innumerabie
voluntary civic and cultural associa-
tions. In its more natural and special
form it passes to the direct primary;
is seen in the choosing cf our senators
by the people; more and more the
extended referendum. initiative and
recall; new charters for our cities,
erasing the shame and faulty of mere
party squabbles in the managing of
city affairs and then both parties al
most suddenly discover the disgrace
of accepting. on the sly, large con-
tributions from corporations on the
hunt for favors; really discover the
| slavery and abasements of it and now
rival each other in their hot haste to
stop it.
"Thsse are all first steps in the
great engagement. For long time,
every one of these democratic devices
will be misused and monopoly will
appropriate them or counterfeit them.
They will have to be amended and
reshaped before they are free from
privilege on the one side and the CAL
culatIng dernagogue on the other. But
the very difficulties, now that they
can be seen, will add to the fascina-
tion of the struggle.
"We now see that the noblest cause
of all, that of liberty, is challenged.
liberty to think and co act freely
according to honest opinions. Clergy.
college. teachers and lawgiv ers are
on trial. Who that ia not drugged
does not know that intellectual and
moral freedom are cribped for large
classes in this country? There are
powerful business interests that feel
themselves under criticism. 1t is a
type OF monopoly scattered thick
about the United States. 1t is so
intertwisted with railroads and with
banking, and with all sorts of specu-
lative investment schemes. that we
are lost in the maze of it.
"But one thing is LUMINOSITY clear,
the real power in this country has
it's controlling nerve ganglion at these
points. Every one of US is connected
by some of the million tiny fibers that
radiate from these charged centers.
Now, because it is important, let US
do our best to tell the truth. Prob
ably not one in this room who is not
buund by one or more uf these little
threads to some of those businesses.
We are bound to them by lines of
pecunlary advantage. We more or
less live from them. Let clergy, doc
tors, lawyers, teachers trace then in
come. If there is any such thing as
"tainted" money, disconcerting
part of all our income will have the
stain on it
"You have all heard of tn. "Pal-
ace of Truth If you once get into
it, you have to tell the truth. Many
people when they get into it, think
they are in he'll. 1t is no wonder the
palace of truth is one excessively
uncomfortable place. | don't live in
there, so | can't ask you to "come
in." | will ask you to go in with me
for few minutes only. Now, we
are on the inside and we can't help
either telling the truth or listening
to it.
cit has to do with those same great
speculative business interests which
we have permitted to go without
proper social regulation and one result
is that our politics are the scorn or
the laughter of the world. They are
Haunted as final damning proof that
the people cannot govern themselves:
that the Declaration of Independence
is the sorriest bombast. What is true
in this accusation? Not all of it.
thank God. but 1--WE are in the Palace
of TRUTH enough of it is true to sober
and sadden every well-wisher of this
country. swiss, German, English,
Scandinavians have regulated
socially reg ulated-these seine specu-
lative and monopoly interests. They
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