Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1912-03-23

rapiIity> would make such amendment
and Interpretation depend on The fc-
veriS!. uncertain and unstable deter
mlnatiOu OF successive votes on differ
cnt laws by temporary and chanrin"
majoritieS," and that 1t lays the ax nt
the foot Of the tree Of Wcil ordered
freedom and subjects the guarantees rf
life, liberty and property without rem
edy to the titful impulse OF \ tempo
rary majority OF an electorate"
This criticism is really less y cri;i-
ciSm OF my proposal than Il criticism
OF all popular government 1t ia
wholly unfounded. unless it is founded
on the belief that the people are fund
amcntaily untrust worthy. This is the
question that l propose to submit to
the people, How CAN the prevailing
morality or prepondcrant opinion be-
better and more exactly aSccrtairrd
than by Il vote of the people? The
pcoIlc must know better than the
court What their own morality and
tlri' own opinion is. l ask that yon.
here. You aEl othc!:; like You. YOU the
people. be given thr chance 20 state
NONr own views OF Justice ana public
mornlt" arn not 1t li"rklr by nul
have yo'Ir views ?n..,..crL for you !,r
well Jnraning aGhn"rAt,, Of ou;vr"n
PHILOSOPHERS. who c&H!t t!ia r"LnuirN
Of formulas #b0vc tie vi,:N needs Of
human ljFr.
Mr.. TAft'& position is The uc&itirn
that has beer he'd from IT," ho.:iMn!M:,
OF our government. although not al.
ways so openly Ecltl. by y lnr~" Euiil.
Der OF reputable and horOrahic men
WnO down at bottom di&:ill%t popular
government ard when the !!u&t ac-
ceDt il accept IL Wit! reluctance ana
hedge around it with every species Of
restriction ana cheek and balance SO
rs TO make the power Of the people as
,l'nltci ana as ineffective rs possible.
Mr. TAFT fairly defines ihc issue when
lie says that our government is and
should be government OF al :hc pco-
ID" by Il representative part Of the peo-
pie 1hiS Is an excellent and moderate
description Of an oligarchy. It Gcfines
or government as Il government OF all
ci tie people by few Of the people.
am not speaking jokingly nor DO I
mean 30 be urklnd. for repeat that
MANY honorable ana well mcaning men.
If high character take this view and
"aVc taken 1T from the time Of the for
iE"tIon OF the nation. Essentially this
view IS that the constitution is Il strait
jacket to be used for the control Of az
anruIy patient-thc people. Now, I
hold that this view Is not only false.
lint .I,iI
are Instruments designed to secure JUS.
ticc by securing the deliberate but ef-
fcctive expression OF the popular will.
that the checks and balances are valun-
be as far and only so far as they &c
cOnplish that dcibcration and Tint it
Is warped and unworthy ana imprOp-
or construction Of our form OF govern
D"nt to see il il only Il means Of
tEW2TtinG The popular Will and Of pre-
venting justice. Mr.. IHft says thut
"every cla%i' should have Il "voicc' in
the government That seems to me Il
very serious miecOn"eDtiOn Of the
American political situntion. The real
trouble with US Is that Some classes
have had too much voice. one OF thc
most important oe all thc lessons to be
taught and to be learned is Tia: 4 man
should vote rot az It representative Of
class, but merely rs Il good citizen.
whose prime interests are Tie same as
those Of oil other i-OGd citizens.
Taft's "Disbeliof In the People,"
Mr. Taft again %nd again. in quota
tions h@y" ;,ivC0 and rlscW I"rr
through his speech. expresses HI, a..
belief in the people whnn they vote at
the polls. In one sentence he says that
the proposition gives powerful effect
to the mOlDcntary impulse Of n ajor-
ity Of an electorate and prepares the
way for the possible exercise Of tn"
grossest Tyranny" Elsewhere be
speaks Of the "fcveriSh uncertainty
and "unstable determination" Of laws
by Temporary and changing majori-
ties and again be says that the Sy#-
tenn I propose would result in suSpcn-
sion or application Of constitutional
guarantees according to popular
whim.' which would destroy call pos
sibc consistency" in constitutional i'll
terpretation. I should much like to
ti,n ;c /,