River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-08-08


All that can be done is to treat this
as one incidental evil of great ex.
pansive movement in the material
progress OF the world and to make
sure that there will be no recurrence
OF such evil.
In this regard we have made great
progress and reform, as in respect to
secret rebates in railways, the I'M
proper comforting Of public fran
chises, and the immunity OF mo-
nopolizing trusts and combinations.
The misfortunes of ordinary busi-
ness, the division of the estates
of wealthy men at their death, the
chances of speculation which undue
good fortune seems often to stimu-
late, operating as causes through
generation, will do much to divide up
such large fortunes. 1t is far better 10
await the elimination of this evil by nat
ural causes than to attempt what would
soon take on the aspect of conf1scatlon
or to abolish the principle and 1nstl-
tuition Of private property and 10
change to socialism. Socialism III
wolves the taking away Of the motive
for acquisition, saving, energy, ana
enterprise, and futile attempt py
committees to apportion the rewards
due for productive labor. 1t means
stagnation and retrogression. IL oe-
stroys the handspring of human action
that has carried the world on and up
ward for 1000 years.
Opponents Offer No Remedy.
I do not say that the two gentle
men who now lead, one the Demo
cratic party and the other the former
Republicans who have left their party,
in their attacks upon existing condl-
lions, and in their attempt to satisfy
the popular unrest by promises OF
remedies, are consciously embracing
socialism. The truth is that they do
not offer any definite legislation or
policy by which the happy conditions
they promise are to be brought about,
but If their promises mean anything,
they lead directly toward the APP
preparation of what belongs to one
man, to another. The truth is, my
friends, both those who have left the
Republican party under the inspira-
ton of their present leader, and our
old opponents, the Democrats, under
their candidate, are going in direc-
ton they do not definitely know, to-
ward an end they can not definitely
describe, with but one chief and clear
object, and that is of acquiring pow
er for their party by popular support
through the promise of a change for
the better. What they clamor for is
change. They ask for a change in
government so that the government
may be restored to the people, as If
this had not been peoples govern
ment since the beginning of the con-
stitution. / have the fullest sympathy
with every reform in governmental
and election machinery which shall
facilitate the expression of the popu-
lar will as the short ballot and the
reduction in elective offices to make
it possible. But these gentlemen pro-
pose to reform the government, whose
present defects, II any, are due to the
failure of the people to devote as
much time as is necessary to their
political duties, by requiring politi-
cal activity by the people three times
that which thus far the people have
been willing to assume; and thus they
propose remedies which, instead of
exciting the people to further interest
and activity in the government, win
tire them into such an Indifference as
still further to remand control OF pub
lie affairs to minority.
Hostility to judiciary.
Instead Of giving us the benefit of
any specific remedies for the hard
ships and evils of society they point
out, they follow their urgent appeals
for closer association of the people
in legislation by an attempt to cult.
vate the hostility of the people to the
courts and to represent that they are
in some form upholding injustice and
are obstructing the popular will. At.
tempts are made to take away all
those safeguards for maintaining the
independence of the judiciary which
are SO carefully framed in our consti.
tuition. These attempts find express
sion in the policy, on the one hand
of the recall of judges, system un-
der which a judge whose decision in
one case may temporarily displease
the electorate is to be deprived at
once of his Office by popular vote, a
pernicious system embodied in the
Arizona constitution and which the
Democrats of the house and senate
refused to condemn as the initial pol
icy Of new state. The same spirit
manifested itself in the vote by Demo.
cratic senators on the proposition
first, to abolish the commerce court
and, second, to abolish judges by mere
act of repeal, although under the con
stitution their terms are for life, on
no ground except that they did not
like some of the courts recent deci
sions.
Another form of hostility to the iu
dietary is shown in the grotesque
proposition by the leader of former
Republicans who have left their party,
for a recall of decisions, so that de
cision on a point of constitutional law
having been rendered by the highest
court capable of rendering 1t, shall
then be submitted to popular vote tc
determine whether it ought to be sus
tanned.
Again, the Democratic party in con
gress and convention shows it's desire
tune he solemnly lifts his cooked hat