The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-08-08
TAFT is NOTIFIED.
STA7ES OPPONENTS
IRE SOCIALISTS

Use OF a change for the better. What
they clamur for is a change. They
ask for a change in government so
n a the government may be restored
to the people, as if they had not been
a peoples government since the be-
ginning OF the constitution. | have
the fullest sympathy with every re-
FORM in government and election ma
chinery which shall facilitate the eY
preston of the popular will as the
short ballot and the reduction in
elective Offices to make it possible.
but these gentlemen propose to re-
form the government, whose present
delectS, II 2Ily, are due to the failure
Oh the people to devote as much time
as is necessary to their political du-
ties by requiring a political activity
by the people three times that which
thus far the people have been willing
to assume; and thus they propose
remedies which, instead OF exciting
the people to further interest and act
ivity in the government, will tire
them into such an indifference as
still further to demand control OF
public affairs to a minority.
But after We have changed all the
governmental machinery so as to
permit instantaneous expression OF
the people in constitutional amend
ments, in statutes, and in recall of
public agents, what then? Votes are
not bread, constitutional amendments
are not work. re~ferendums do not
pay rent or furnish houses; recalls do
not furnish clothing, initiatives do
not supply employment or relieve in
I 80, q, Las az. ~ condition nr nf nlnn1.-
unity. We still ought to have set be-
fore us the definite plans to bring
on complete equality of opportunity
and to abolish hardship and evil for
humanity. We listen for them in
Remedies Not Specific.
'Instead of giving us the benefit
of any specific remedies for the hard
ships of evils OF society they point
out, they follow their urgent APP
poals for closer association of the
people in legislation by an attempt
to cultivate the hostility OF the peo-
pie to the courts and to represent
that they are in some form uphold
ing injustice and are ~obstructing the
popular will. Attempts are made to
take away all those safeguards for
maintaining the independence OF the
judiciary which are so carefully
framed in our constitution.
The hostility TO the judiciary and
the measures to take away it's power
and its independence constitute the
chief definite policy that can be fair
ly attributed to that class OF states
men and reformers whose absorption
and control the republican party
escaped at Chicago and the democra-
tic party yielded to at Baltimore.
The Republican party stands for
none Of these innovations. 1t re-
fuses to make changes simply for
the purpose of making a change, ami
%cultivating popular nope that in the
change something beneficial, unde-
fined, will take place. 1T does not
believe that human nature has chang
ed. II still believes that it is pos
sible in this world that the fruits
of energy, courage, enterprise, at
tention to duty, hard work, thrift.
providence, restraint of appetite anc
of passions will continue to have
their reward under u present sys-
tenn and that laziness, lack of atten-
ton, lack CT industry, the yielding to
appetite and passion, carelessness
dishonesty, and disloyalty will ulti'
mately find their W punishment il
the world here. We do not deny
that there are exceptions, and that
seeming fortune follows wickedness
and Misfortune virtue, but, on the
whole, We are optimists and bcliev.
that the rule is the other way. We
do not know any way TO avoid hui
man injustice but to perfect oul
laws for administering Justice, tC
develop the morality of the individ-
ual, TO give direct supervision anC
aid to those who are, or are likely to
he, oppressed, and to give as full
scope as possible to individual effor
and its rewards. Wherever we ca,
see that a statute which does not de
prive any person or class of what j:
his is going to help many people, W,
are in favor of it. We favor the
greatest good TO the greatest number
but we do not believe that this car
be accomplished by minimizing tn,
rewards of individual effort, or b.
Infringing or destroying the RICH
of property, e. to the right of lib
erty. has been and is the creates
civilizing institution in history. II
other words, the Republican Part.
believes in progress along the line
upon which We have attained pro
gress already. We do not believ,
THAT we can reach a millennium b.
a sudden change in all our existing
institutions. We believe that w
have made progress from the begin
ming until now, and that the progrea
is to continue into the far future
that it is reasonable progress tha
experience has shown to be real1
useful and helpful, and from whic'
there is nc reaction to sometime
worse.
The Republican Party stands 60
the Constitution as it is, with sue
amendments adopted according TO ii
provisions as new conditions thol
oughly understood may require. "
believe that it has stood the test c
time, and that there have been dis
closed really no serious defects in ii
operation.
1T is said that this is not a
iGSua i'm the ramDaiCn II cearnc Z