Evening journal., 1911-09-02
MOB LEADERS
DECRY MOB RULE
By John 5. Hamilton.


For the unbiased observer Of ths
progress Of political events there is
no need for other diversion. If he has a
serious tendency of mind he will find
enough to employ him and keep the
smiles of his face in observing the
devious moves on the chess board
made by those who through the pecu-
liar travaignings of the bounties that
have come from the marvellous de-
velopment Of this wonderful country.
have found themselves all unfit and
unprepared as they are of the power
to tax their fellow mortals. This power
by the way let it be said, should and
must and will, in the final adjustment
of things, be in the hands of the peo-
pie themselves and should never be
otherwise than a function of the state
On the other hand, the man who has
a sense of the ridiculous, and is in
clined to laugh If he is, as sometimes
happens, possessed Of sufficient per-
spicuity TO look beyond the political
chess board and for time forget the
pawns while he>considers the players,
will be inclined to regard the whole
matter as a scream"
To illustrate: Observe, IL you please,
the solicitude betrayed in certain quar-
ters, among the opponents of the initi-
ative and referendum. If you press one
of these panic stricken patriots for his
reasons, you will find that he is afraid
Of the mob" 1t cannot be denied that
he may pretend to give other reasons.
but after he has spoken his piece and
you analyze what he says, there will
remain no further doubt in your mind
on the subject. He is afraid of the rule
of the people. Now this is not so funny
until you come to consider the sourcs
from which il emanates. Then it t'sure-
ly is to laugh.
Who are these people, it is pertinent
to ask, and who form the mob that
they are afraid Of or pretend to be
afraid Of? What are these timid pa
triots alarmed about? Is the prevailing
4 condition of things such as there are
reasons why it should be perpetuated? {?
Is fear OF what is called the mob JUS
titled if the present conditions are He-
i sirable? Is it forgotten that the ball
ance Of power In every national cleo
tion not to speak of State elections in
thirty years or more save one per-
haps. was IN the hands and exercised
by those who sold their votes? Who
contributed the money which bought
these votes and brought the ignorant
and vicious voters to the polis2 Is this
not government by a mob and the most
incompetent the most dangerous and
the most mischievous mob that II Is
possible to get together in this beloved
country OF ours? Is this not mob rule
at it's very worst, even after we admit
that the rich and respectable, II you
please, have furnished the means 70
secure the goOds?" Bstween the
mob" that would rule and promises
to take an interest in its government
and. to initiate benefits and inaugurate
betterments and that mob which now
rules and is debauched into selling its
birthright can there be any doubt as
to the direction in which safety lies,
and can there be any doubt as to which
mob promises the best government?
OF courss one can only laugh at
these things after he has arrived at the
point where he believes in the ulti-
g mate triumph of good and then he
z can only laugh at the foolishnsss oi
] those who appear TO doubt the people
p The question has been put: Shall
the people ruler" and all the signs OF
the times indicate that there is goine
TO be an answer Of an emphatic aye As
far as the writer is concerned, he has
always DttU SOlly ihtt tAioct +NNoAco
with authority we're so abusing theil
/, sacred trust and so prostituting the
priceless legacy left them by theii
fathers as to make direct Legislation
necessary. There can be no doubt
. however, that they crossed the dsac
g line long ago and the writer has nS
fears of the result. He believes tha
: any people can rule themselves bettei
than they Will be ruled by any othel
ruler or rulers and where there il
self rule and mistakes are made tn
people will rise on their mistakes e
, higher and better things.
/ This principle is vindicated by thu
real and vital lessons of history and il
in harmony with the wisdom of th'
& ages. It is responsive TO the decalogu'
Il and the beatitudes and is the Colder
Rule applied TO government. II EN-
% braces the fatherhood of God and tn
a brotherhood of man and is scientific
: because 1t is based on a knowledge o
h human nature; contemplates risinl
e man and is consistent with the evolu
! ton of the race. To adopt and hol'
I. to Il is the Gospel Of Hope and to dis
regard or go to war with it means oni,
despair and the final destruction OF tn
! human family.