Imperial Valley press., 1912-03-26
TAFT'S DISBELIEF IN THE
PEOPLE.

Mr.. Taft, again and again, in quota
tiOns | have given and elsewhere
through his speech, expresses his dis
belief in the people when they vote at
the polls.
In one 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
temporary and changing majOrities," >"
and again he says that the system
propose would result in suspension or
application Of constitutional guarantees
according to popular whim," which
would destroy all possible consist
ency' in constitutional Interpretation
| should much like to know the exact
distinction that is to be made between
what Mr.. Taft calls ''the fitful impulse
of temporary majority" when ap-
piled to a question such as | raise
and it's application to any other ques-
ton. Remember, that under my pro-
pOSal to review a rule OF decision by
popular vote, amending or constituting
to that extent. the Constitution, would
certainly take at least two years from
the time of the election of the Legis-
lature which passed the act.
Now, only four months elapse be-
tween the nomination and the election
of 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 God" Ap-
parently, then, the decision of the peo-
pie about the presidency, after four
more years deliberatiOn, 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 indus
try, or men protected from excessive
hours of labor under unhygienic con-
ditions, or wage-workers compensated
when they lose life or limb in the SER
vice of others, then their decision
forthwith becomes a 'whim," and
'feverish," and unstable" and an eX-
ercise of "the grossest tyranny" and
the laying of the axe at 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, in
America, has been acted upon, some
times ope-ly, sometimes secretly, for
forty years by many men in public and
in private life, and | am sorry to say by
many judges; a doctrine which has, in
fact, tended to create a bulWark for
privileges, bulWark unjustly protect
ing special interests against the rights
of the people as a whole. This doc
trine is to me a dreadful doctrine for
it's effect is, and can only be, to make
the courts the shield of privilege
against popular rights. Naturally,
every upholder and beneficiary of
crooked privilege loudly applauds the
doctrine. 1t is behind the shield of
that doctrine that crooked clauses
creep into laws, that men of wealth
may control legislation.
Remember, | am not discussing the
recall of judges, although | wish it
distinctly understood that the recall
is a mere piece of machinery to take
the place of the unWorkable impeach-
ment which Mr., Taft in effect de-
tends, and that, if the days of May
nard ever came back again in the
State of New York, | should favor if.
| have no wish to come to it, but our
opponents, when they object to all
efforts to secure real justice from the
courts, are strengthening the hands
Of those who demand the recall In a
great many states there has been, for