The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1912-03-29

their own opinion 70. ask that yoW
lsre. you and others like you, you. tho
people. be given the chance to stats
morality and not sit meekly by andz
have your views announced for your
by well meaning adherents of outworn
philosopher, who exalt the pedantry-
of formulas above the vital needs or.
human life.
Mr.. Taft's position is the position
that has been held from the beginning.
Of our government, although not al
ways so openly held, by a large num-
Der of reputable aud honorable meuA
who down at the bottom distrust pop->-
ular government and when they must
accept 1t. accept 1t with reluctance
and hedge around 1t with every spe--
Giles Of restriction and check and BAL
ance so a. 70 make the power Of tho
people a. limited and ineffective -
possible. Mr.. Taft fairly defines the
Issue when he says that our govern
ment 10 and should be . governmene-
Of all the people by . republican part.
OF he people. This IL an excellent
and moderate description Of an dig
archy. It defines our government az.
Q government for Q few Of the people
] am not speaking critically nor do.
I mean to be unkind. for l believe that
many honorable and we'll meaning
men Of high character take this view
n have taken 1t from the time OF
the formation of the nation. Essen
TALLY this view 10 that the constitu-
ton Ia a strait Jacket to be used for
the control Of an unruly patient-thor
people. Now l hold that this view In
not only false, but mischievous, that
our constitutions are instruments de-
signed to secure Justice by securing
the deliberate but effective expressions.
OF the popular will, that the checks
and balances are valuable as far and
only so far as they accomplish that
elaboration and hat it is a warped
and unworthy and improper co~nstruc-.
ton of our form of government to see
in it only a ear of thwarting the
popular will and Of preventing Justice
Mr.. Taft says that every class
should have a voice" in the govern
ment. That seems to me q very SER
ious m~isconception Of the Americana
political situation. The real troubles-
with us Is that some classes have had
too much voice. One of the most i'm
portant of all the lessons to be taught
and to be learned is that a man should
vote not as a representative of a Glass;.
but merely as a good citizen, whose
prime interests are the same as those
Of all other good citizens.
Taft's "DIsbelief In the People,
Mr.. Taft again and again in quota
lions l have given and elsewhere i'm
this speech expresses his disbelief i'm
the people when they vote at the polls
In n sentence he says that the
proposition gives powerful effect to-
the momentary impulse of a majority
Of an electorate and prepares the way
for the positive exercise Of the gross
est tyranny" Elsewhere he speaks
Of the "feverish uncertainty" and ''un-
stable determination Of laws" by tenn
oorary and changing majorities. and
again he says that the system I pro-
pose. would result In suspension Or,
application Of constitutional guaran-
. according to popular whim."
which would destroy "all possible con-
sistency'' In constitutional f~nterprera-
ton. I should much like to know.
the exact distinction that Is to be-
made between what Mr.. Taft calls
'the htful impulse Of . temposarys
majority" when applied to a question
such az that ! raise and any other
question. Remember that under my
proposal to review . rule OF decisioM
by popular vote. amending OF con-
strung to that extent the constitu-=
ton could certainly AXE at least tw o.
years from the time Of the election
Of the Legislature which passed the
act Now. only four months elapss-
between the nomination and the cleo
ton OF . man a. president to NIL for
four years the most important office
In the land. In one of Mr.. Tsft's
speeches he speaks Of the voice Of
the people ~ coming next Il the voice
Of God" Apparsutly. then, the de-
cisicn OF the people about the presf-
dsncy. after four more years OF DELHI
Grafton. 10 - ~ treated - next to
the vd1es q CO." but II after two
ysArs q soSss thought thsy decide
that vSaAsu aAA ehildrsn shAIl 81,
1rotsoesl IN inlvstsy. q msa protect
"a fFoa s1esss1ve Aours q hbes un-
der unhygisaie esn1itSeoA. or wage
worAseS se0psnsaAsl when they les>
Me q ltDb u ~ service q othsrs..
tAsn their Asotsisa forthwith becomes
a"vhia" aaA esvssish and unstable