The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-13
VOX POPULI.
SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE
IN THIS FREE COUNTRY

The time has arrived in the life of
our nation to put an end to the foes
that threaten it's existence.
Shut our eyes, if we desire, still we
cannot shut out the sight that is ap
parent to all, Of the evil results Of
class legislation.
The men with axes to grind have
had charge long enough. They have
used first one great political party
and then the other to attain their ends.
nate competition and throttle the life
u blood of the nation, to enrich them
selves inordinately.
To do these things they have bought
the peoples servants and put them to
lwork for themselves
If anything was ever conclusively
established it is the fact that malefac-
tors have been bribing the peoples
! representatives.
The man with a pull has been too
long in evidence.
The day has arrived to put him back
| in the ranks.
Honest competition must be restored
| in all branches of trade, and the few
branches that occupy a physical po-
sition, impossible of restoration, must
suffer complete regulation at the
hands of the people.
The railroads and a few others arc
in this limited class.
I
the people and not their masters. The
people and not the owners must die
tate rates and service.
This looks hard, but otherwise they
would Cypress the individual for lack
OF competition.
They need not fear the people.
They will be allowed to earn a fair
return upon their capital and their
bonds will equal those of the govern
ment.
The. people must rule or the repub-
lie will Idle.
The only way they can rule is to re-
serve unto themselves the final au
thority instead of delegating it.
They must reserve unto themselves
the right to change laws and consti
tions by majority vote, as the chang
ing conditions of time justify. They
must keep the machinery of govern
ment in their own hands, ready for
use at all times.
This is the mission Of that form Of
government known as the initiative,
referendum and recall
1t is not a cure-all.
It has but one specific virtue: 1t
keeps the power where it belongs
with the people.
It puts the people where they won't
have to beg for anything.
All they do with it's aid, is go and
get what they want.
1t is the engine that furnishes the
motive power.
The balance of the government is
the cars.
1t will pull a day coach or a Pull
man with equal ease but who wants
to ride in other than a Pullman?
Perhaps commission government" Is
the name of a Pullman.
The world has never tried letting
the people rule.
| hn oh fn hepn
approximated in free America.
If all men were honest, the present
American plan would be perfect, for
popular government really originates
with the people here.
The only weak spot in our body
polite is that the people have not re-
| served the right to annull government
when it ceases to be popular govern.
ment.
AS soon as they assume this power,
the future of our republic is assured.
The indications are that they are
about to assume this authority. Oregon
has already assumed it and other
/ states are falling into line.
| The bugbear of centralized govern
ment so abhorrent to all true be-
levers in states rights, will meet its
| Waterloo here.
When the people really rule, CEN
| iralized government will be shorn OF
its power. because the people will con-
| troll Washington just as easily as
Washington now controls them.
That the people are conservative no
plutocrat will deny.
| If they are not, why have they so
patiently allowed themselves to be hu-
inflated, robbed and impoverished
| without a revolution?
! Things have come to a pretty state
when a trust can sit back and dictate
to a free people what they must pay
q 1nc NF n
universal law of supply and demand.
| If the people were not conservative
| thew would long ago have put the di-
rectors of these conspira cies to break
! ing rock for a system of trans CONT
mental highways.
AS to how the people will get the
desired results; what laws they will
| enact and what course they will pur-
/ sue to restore to themselves and pos
terity equal rights to all and special
privileges to none. this article does
not concern itself.
Sufficient is it to state here that the
people have been thoroughly educated
by the free press of the country as 10
| conditions, and 1 am sure they have
many effective remedies ready for ap-
plication.
| I believe the people still have conf
| dence in the integrity of their courts.
They blame the condition mostly upon
| the legislative ana executive DIduCISS
of the government.
True, the courts have sometimes
subjected themselves to consume par
ticularly when hiding behind the con-
stitution. but when the people write
their love plainly and without any
jokers upon the statute books, and
change and constitution IL necessary to
conform to popular law. the courts
can do none other than uphold the
settled and conservative popular viii.
| Eliminating them for a while at
least, would probably ease the floor
of those present gallant defenders OF
the bulwarks Of society, and would
do the people no harm If they con-
trolled the other two benches Of gov
eminent.
/ That we progress economically.
morally and religiously is the honest
prayer of all good and patriotic Amer
leans.
/ With the opportunity to do so before
in what should this forward step be
combatted by any man.
Upon what grounds, except greed,
can he conscienceously stand to OPP
pose the creation OF this benefcent
social condition, that will tend to
harmonic the world. create new OPP