New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-27
TAFT SAYS PEOPLE RULE.
They Do It According to Law ant
Under Constitution.
RESTRAINT ON MAJORITY
Checks Imposed to Secure De.
liberate and Well Consid.
cred Action.
From The Tribune Bureau

Washington, March 26-"The people rulsl
there is no doubt about that, but they ruls
according to law and under the Constitu-
ton, and they voluntarily and willingly
placed the restraints Of that Constitution
upon themselves i'm order that they might
act with deliberation and with the checks
that were sure to secure moderate, clear
headed, well thought out policies. and
therefore when tho American people voted
that Constitution and now are maintaining
II and supporting II. as ! hope they always
will, they are governing themselves and
are more ~ Le credited than he that tsketh
city"
President Taft made this statement in
his address 10 an audience, which included
practically the entire population OF Fresno
Cal. and the surrounding country, in ths
fall Of 1899
Defining popular government, President
Taft said further:
Popular government We al approve OF.
though sometimes | don't think We know
exactly why we do approve II. I think ire
quently We mistake ends for means. We
talk about liberty As something TO be Sc.
cured as an end. We think OF popular gov
eminent as something 10 be secured as an
end. Well, neither is true Liberty IL
means in the pursuit Of happiness Popu-
lar government we have because We pc
lieSe IA the long run that IL IL the best
government: that " is the government
which makes most people happy, and thu
reason IS this: That IN the long run the
interests Of any particular class, sud by
that ! mean those people who are Affected
by the same set Of circumstances, can by
representation IN the government be better
trusted 10 look after their own interests
than nfh her class trusted ia look
after those interests, no matter how altru-
istic that class. So that II every class Is
represented, assurli1g that each class has
intelligence enough TO know It's own inter-
est We can count on that being better
government than a government by one, or
d few, or only a particular class.
That is a popular government, but You
cannot run a popular government oy
merely calling IL so. You must have some
means of determining what shall direct
the course Of government; what snail De
eide That Is the majority. | do NOT know
any other method in popular government.
We do have checks We do have indlrect
means of giving expression TO that vote
OF the majority, but when you get down
to the basis, It IS the control of the ma
jority
Now. YOU cannot have a decent, popular
government unless that majority can con-
quer itself; that Is. unless that majority
exercises the self-restrsint that men WIN
great power ought to exercise. II 1t is 10
be exercised Justly you cannot o., nav popn-
stances I am not going into the various
parts Of the world, but | could call your
attention, il IL were not that | am In
responsible position now with respect To
foreign countries, and must speak witt
care-I could call your attention TO good
many instances where those VINO are IN
favor Of popular government. and VINO, II
NAV use the expression pull the tail feath-
ers out Of the eagle in deifying liberty and
apostrophizing everything that We hold
dear. think Just az soon as they become
s>.t,. 81, hat ettT n
control the minority absolutely, and II the
minority show any disposition 70 question
IL they send them 20 Jail
What is the effect of that? They say this
is popular rule: this is the rule of the ma
iority. So what does the minority DO? WIZ
the minority says, we Will take 10 thS
woods" and they do take 70 the woods
And so we have that system that alternateS
between an election and revolution ana
revolution and an election, and We cali
that popular government. Now, why Is "
majority and the minority do not govern
themselves and do not exercise that self
restraint without which popular government
Is absolutely impossible. And that 3 the
application Of the text thas comes home :"
me in thinking and dealing with these couo-
tries that arc struggling for popular SOY
election cannot stand the defeat. IL has N
go to the woods. They are not good losers
and the majority are not good winners:
Popular government is 8 most difficult
thing 10 establish We have had TO ham
mer IL out in a thousand years Of Anglo
Saxon suffering and controversy and cor
test. And now II rests where? u rests u
the common sense and the self-restraint o.
the American people II rests in the know
edge OF the majority that II must keen
within the checks OF law and The Consutu
ton II the government Is 10 be preserved
And IL must rest in the view of the minor
lty that It is much more important that the
government should be sustained than tnat
the minority should have for the time be
ing control of or q voice I'm the government