Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-14

II. suppose tnat the RepuDllcans, 30:
ing into power in 1908 with a solemn
promise of tariff revision downward,
had, after the English fashion, en-
countered an adverse vote in congress
through a coalition Of Democrats and
insurgents and had been obliged to
go to the country on the Payne-Al-
drich bill in the fall Of 1909? Would
we not have had a glorious campaign
filled with talk and writing about real
things, with the voters using their
minds rather than their partisan emo
tion and the newspapers filled with the
kind Of human interest stuff that
would have been an education for
every youngster in every school in this
broad land?.
MY friends, It was not in the least
what the fathers meant. The govern
ment we live under was expressly de-
signed to prevent that kind Of popu-
lar excitement. Perhaps the fathers
at that time were justified in distrust-
ing the people. Perhaps they acted
precisely right in providing for dele
cations Of power and various checks
and balances for the purpose of keep
ing within the bounds voters not then
intelligent and expert.
Must SEQ Chips Fly.
Whatever may have been the situa-
tion 1876 years ago. we find ourselves
at this time confronted by a futility
that is peculiarly repugnant to the
American temperament. An Ameri-
can will cut a cord of wood and be
happy about 1t, but nothing could in
duce him to hammer on a log for the
same length of time with the blunt
end of the axe-we must see the chips
fly. It Is impossible to get the typi-
cal American interested II such inter-
est can result in no action. A deadly
apathy thus ensues. The disease deep
ems and spreads into a paralysis Of
the functions of citizenship. and final
ly results in a sort of political pare
sis. We are not interested in the
questions of government all the year
round and in q businesslike, systemat-
C way, but once in two years, or
once in four years, for two or three
months, we work ourselves up into
passion, which Is usually impotent.
When the thing is over the excitement
Immediately dies down and General
Apathy takes the field again.
And yet Mr.. Conservative, you say
touch not these sacred forms. And
all who do so are anarchists or Black
Hands. I will take the liberty Of view
ing this Black Hand danger In the
same way that a similar danger was
viewed by a certain business man,
who, coming down town one morning,
found letter with skull and cross
bones on it pinned upon the door Of
his office. 1t read as follows: Dear
Sir-Unless you send $1,000 to such
and-such a place next Tuesday morn
ing at 10 o'clock, we will kidnap your
wife. Signed: The Black Hand Soci-
ety." He turned the letter over and
wrote on the other side and pinned 1t
back on the door: "Gentlemen-Your
terms seem high, but your proposition
interests me-" / am a good deal in
terested in the proposition to put out
of the way the strait-jacket features
of the constitution.
1 am aware that many good people
will continue to believe that we don't
need to turn our government topsy-
turvy; that we do need to put some
energy and a little old-fashioned con-
science into the discharge of our pub
lie duties. 1 haven't been raised a
Presbyterian without hearing whole
lot about duty. I haven't been wear
ing my life out in an effort to get Vo-
ters to maintain attention to public
affairs without finding out that mere
plenty doesn't last long or go far In
politics. The newspaper that preach
ed duty, duty, duty all the year round
would have to give way soon or late
to a. red -blooded yellow journal.
Politics Must be Game.
The human being must be interest
ed in politics along lines of elementary
human interest. The handspring of all
human activities is the love of con-
test.
What is the struggle between good
and evil-the Lord and the Devil? A
contest.
What is the struggle for survival
for bread and meat? A contest.
What is business competition? A
contest.
This principle has been applied sue
cessfully in other countries. They
have done it in New Zealand, but we
don't have to go around the world and
across the equator to some outlandish
country, or to some Latin country
where socialism and anarchy breed. or
even to continental country like
Switzerland. All we have to do is to
follow the example Of our own mother
country, where for long time and
with undoubted success they have had
referendum that kept the people
thoroughly alive in politics. May we
not hope that out Of all the agitation
there may come some simple mechani-
cal change in government that may
vivify us without plunging us into
some experiment in socialistic demo-
cracy? After many a weary year
spent in trying to help the people
maintain wireless communication with
and some sort of long distance control
of recreant representatives, bartering
and selling and otherwise misusing
delegated power, I am not particularly
impressed with the sacredness of the
letter of government as handed down
by the fathers. We should clearly
discern that the fathers were dealing
with an electorate inexperienced and
uniformed nor should we forget that,
thanks to steam, electricity and print
er's ink, we are living in a world wide
publicity.
Thomas jefferson said that he would
rather have newspapers without gov
ernment that government without