Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-03-28

Vial government ana When they must
accept 1t, accept It with reluctance
and hedge around it with every sDe-
cies OF restriction and check and bel
ance so as 70 make tie power of the
people as limited and ineffective as
possible. Mr.. Taft fairly defines the
issue when he says that our govern
nent is and should be a government
Of all the people by a republican part
of the people This is an excellent
and moderate description OF an dig
archy 1t defines ot:i' government as
a government for few Of the people.
am not speaking critically nor co
| mean to be unkind, for believe that
! many honorable and well meaning
men OF high character take this view
and have taken It from the time OF
the formation OF the nation. Essen
tally this view is that the constitu-
ton is strait Jacket to be used for
the control of an unruly patient-the
people Now ! hold that this view is
not only false, but mischievous, that
our constitutions are Instruments de-
/ signed to secure Justice by securing
the deliberate but effective expression
of the popular will, that the cheCAs
and balances are valuable as far and
only so far as they accomplish that
/ elaboration and that il is a warped
and unworthy and improper construc-
| ton Of our form of government to see
in 1t only a means OF thVact!nS the
| popular will and of preventing justice.
| Mr.. Taft says thai every class
should have a voice" in the govern
ment. That seems to me a very ser
ions misconception Of the American
political situation. II real trouble
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 representative of a class,
but merely as good citizen, whose
prime interests are the same as those
OF all other good citizens
Taft's "Disbeief in the People"
Mr.. Taft again and again in quota
lions | have given ard elsewhere ~
this speech Expresses his disbelief IL
the people when they vote at the polls.
In one sentence he SAYS that the
!
the momentGry 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 "feyerish uncertainty and "un-
sta bic determination OF laws" by tenn
porary and changing majoritos, AID
again he says that the system ! pro
pose would result in suspension or
application of constitutional guaran
tees according to popular whim
which would destroy AL possible con
sistency" in constitutional interpreted
ton | should much like to know
the exact distinction that is to be
made between what Mr.. Taft calls
the ftful impulse Of temporary
majority" when applied to question
such as that | raise and any other
question. Remember that under ms
proposal TO review a rule of decision
by popular vote, amending or con
STRUNG to that extent Tie cCnstiIu
ton could certainly take at least two
years from the time Of the election
OF the legislature which passed the
act Now, only four months elapse
between the nomination and the cleo
ton of a man as president to fill for
four years the most important office
in the land. In one of Mr.. Taft's
speeches he speaks of the voice of
the people as coming next to the voice
of Cod" Apparently. then, the de-
cision Of the people about the presi-
dency. after four more years Of DELHI
GRAFTON. is to be treated as next to
the voice OF God" but if after two
years OF sober thought they decide
that women and children shall be
protected in industry or men protect
ed from excessive hours CT labor un-
der unhyg;eG;c conditions, CT wage
workers compensated VIZ. they lose
life or limb in the service of others.
then their decision fcrttv-'.h becomes
a "whin" and fever!sh aad unstable"
and an exercise Of the gro. sc. .vran-
ny and the laying or ~ 80 :. the
foot Of the tree OF freedom
That is the old, old doctrine which
has been acted upon for thousands OF
years abroad and which here II Amer
ca has been acted upon sometimes
openly, sometimes secretly for forty
years by many men N DrH'ic and in
private life. and m Cc~'s % say hy
many judges. a dc'."ira vr,ch has in
fact tended to crea., 2Ulwark for
privileges, bulwark unjustly protect
ing special interests again, he rights
o. the people as a whole This doc
trne is to me dreadful oocjriie, for
It's effect is, and can Ouiy ~ 20 make
the courts tho shield OF privilege
against popular rights Naturally, ey-
cry upholder and beneficiary of crook
ed privilege loudly applauds the doe
trine. 1t is behind the shield OF that
doc,:.Ie that crooked clauses creep
into laTs that men OF wealth control
legislation.
Ke:n~mber, am not discussing the
ieca.; {: judgea-although / wish it
distinctly understood that the recall
is mere piece OF machinery 70 take
the place OF the unavoidable impeaCh.
ment which Mr.. Taft in effect defends
and that If the days of Maynard ever