The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-23

cry, which was what is called a repre-
 sentative republic. 1t gave the people control, but not direct control-they con- trolled through their chosen representa- tives.
 This system worked we'll for more than leo years, and the growth and prosperity of our country under this system has as- tonished the civilized world. But now a
 new thought in politics and & new thought in religion, which in some quar- ters aspires to assume 8 political color Ing, wants to break down the landmarks erected by the fathers, and return to the effete systems of the Greeks and the Romans.
 The latter day politician is always tell
 ing us, or assuming to tell us, what the people want How does he know any more than anyone else what they want One thing we all know, and that is that lhe people are very changeable, and cas- fly subject to influence when laboring
 under excitement. The people cried one
 day, Hail, King of the Jews!'' On an- other day the same people cried, "Crucify Him."
 Our state and federal constitutions have
 placei checks against nasty action by
 the people when excited These safe- guards against nasty, i'll considered &C., tiol were imposed in accordance with the | inorGate of the people, have been ratified and approved by them, and have stood me test Of more than a century of ex- pcrience. The advocates of the initiative. the referendum and the recall want to | remove these checks. Of course, they deny that such is their purpose. but l such will be the inevitable effect of the | general adoption of their programme l nave studied with great deal of in- 1 terest the history of the English people,
 It Is great people. and no one charac- | tcristic in them is more pronounced than
 their genuine conservatism. In my opr- | ion there is no cure for the evils which | afflict us until a'. enlightened public sen
 tlment shall require public men to say what they thinR, and do what they say,
 1t was this characteristic which enabled
 the south. although minority section, through the sheer ability of its leaders
 to control this government for more than ] three-quarters of a century. Mr. Blaine
 in his Twenty Years in Congress- pays this high tribute to the,r character and
 patriotism. He says: Throughout the
 long period of their domination, they
 guarded the treasury with rigid and in
 creasing vigilance against every attempt at extravagance and against every form
 of corruption"
 l Today we are witnessing the reign Of | the demagogue. His chief ambition seems
 to be to get himself elected to office. Sup l family you call in a physician, and in the
 course of the consultation you discover
 that he is not attempting to diagnose the | case and prescribe an adequate remedy.
 but is seeking to ascertain how you wish
 to be advised, and how you wish the case treated, and when he makes this discovery | he prescribes accordingly. This is my definition of demagogue and his poten-
 tiality at this period is entirely too poten- tial for the good of the country. The | hero of the hour is the politician who is | in favor of an appropriation. It is so in municipal government. The treasury is
 emptied with prompt and due regularity, whereupon the thumb screws of taxation
 are immediately applied to the dear peo- pie to pay the amount needed The old
 watchdog of the treasury is dead and has
 been dead for many years! Peace to his
 ashes. As Hamlet was wont to remark,
 Alas, poor Yorick. he was a fellow of | Infinite test!''
 am a disciple of Thomas Jefferson.
 and believe that the people can be trusted, but, when called on to pass upon ] important questions. about which they
 are not informed, like everyone else, they