The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1911-06-08
The New Natioaalissn
BY Volnsy Parker

pie a strong undercurrent of political
and social unrest. The wide circulation
of independent magazines and news
papers, the facilities of travel and con-
sequent circulation of the people, a
national tendency of the American peo-
pie to criticize Office holders and to
hold them strongly to their pledges, a
wider dissemination of intelligence due
to better schools and telegraph facilities.
breaking away from rigid political
affiliation. may among other things be
RESPONSIBLE for some dramatic scenes
in the Congress of the United States.
When VIM. Taft took office as President
he called an extra session of Congress
to consider the tariff and enact legisla-
ton with regard to the welfare of the
people. There happened to be in the
national Legislature at this time. num-
ber of men of independent thought and
ideas. Their political affiliations were
such that they might honestly repre-
sent their constituents without strict
adherence to the old party lines. In
the di:ussion of the tariff they endea-
vored to block that legislation which
Disseminated against the people. They
were spoken of in derision as Insurgents.
They are men of sterling character and
hard fighting qualities. Most of them
were sent to Congress by the people and
not by state or local machine.
They have taken notable action several
times, They stirred the Senate to in
vestigate the Lorimer case, they took
Speaker Cannon from the rules COM
mitnee, they made this committee
elective instead of appointive and they
prevented what might have become a
monstrous fraud in Indian lands in
Oklahoma.
Some prominent Insurgent has said
that an 1nsurg ent is a person who at
least likes to read bill before voting
on it. This is true as far as it goes,
but insurgency is greater than any one
man or group of men. 1t is move
ment of the people, and the term ap-
plies to the people. Webster defines
insurgency as the state of being in op-
position to legal, civil or political au-
.ority. Clifford Pinchot has defined
S,sas-snovement thus: THE progressive
movement is nothing more than the
crystallized determination of the people
to take their own affairs into their hands
and manage their own business them,
selves" LaFollette, Clapp and such
men are only the tactical officers.
They plan the campaign and marshall
the troop leaders. Shall we not all
enlist in this army of the common good
and makes this government genuinely a
government of the people, by the people,
for the people, and not a government of
the people by the interests?
After Mr.. Lorima's election to the
Senate of the United States then came
rumors of bribery in securing his elec-
ton. These rumors became so per-
sistent that the Senate appointed a
committee to investigate and report.
This committee exonerated Mr..
Lorimes, finding that he had no know
ledge of these corrupt practices if they
did exist. Senator Beveridge an Insur-
gent brought in a minority report in
which further sensational things were
related. The net result of this agita-
ton has been to increase the popular
demand for the election of Senators
by the people, to further inquiry into the
methods of state legislatures in general,
to deepen the growing suspicion of the
IN ible that legislators were in many
S0s, betraying their trusts, and to
draw recruits to the ranks of the In
surgents. The legislature of Illinois
and Wisconsin passed votes of censure
upon their representatives for voting
for Lorimer. Various commercial
bodies about the country called indig-
nation meetings where resolutions were
adopted to the effect that the Senate
of the United States had lost the
dignity of law-making body.
Roosevelt refused to sit at banquet
in Chicago in company with Lorimer.
In short, the Insurgents have stirred
the country. The people are shocked
at this perversion of the ballot. DEM
ocracy means failure when man can
buy seat in the U. S. Senate.
For seven years Hon. Jos. Cannon was
Speaker of the House of Rep. His
term of office was one parliamentary
struggle after another, Mr.. Cannon
usually coming out ahead. The power
to recognized members for debate
wheu he chose to do 80, the selection of
committees for certain ends, counting
quorum when a quorum was not pre-
sent, the selection of certain bills for
action and the rejection of others, each
of these has been exercised by Clay,
Colfax, Blaine. carlisle. Reed, and
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