The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-03-27

st0o down al BOTTOM dlsliiist popular
government and Wlien lhey must ac;
eeDf Il aceept Il With reluctance mud
lhedgo around Il With every species q
he rieti6n mud heck and balsTee 80
Il tos mike Abe power 81 ttepeople as 5
lfhaited and las ineR eetiye Al possible.
AiF: sIaft fairly d eli1es tbe Issue when .'4tl4
81 says that our governnaant y ana
shbnId be d government o. gill NE PEG
pis by a representative part q The PEG
ME This q an excellent and moderate
description ofan oiIgarchy. u dsiines
our government as n government OF all
Of the people by d few oftbe people.
lam not speaking jokingly nor do !
mean 10 be unkind. for l repeat that
many honorable and well meaning rtien
of bich character take this View, md
have taken Il from tile time Of the for.
nation Of the nation. Essentially THIS
yiew is that the cohsdtutionisa strait
Jacket 10 beused for tile c6htrol Of m
udruly patlent-the people. Now, !
hold that tits view Is not only false.
but mischieyous. that our constitutions
are instruments designed to secure jus.
tice. by securing the deliberate but eff
factive expression Of The popular VIII.
that the checks and balances ave volua-
dble as far ana only so far as they he.
complish that dellberation and that 1t
| 4. o{IvaiPhed and unworthy and impr0p.
er construction Of Our form of gov
eminent to see in 1t only i mems Of
tliwarting the popular will md OF pre-,
venting justice. Mr.. Taft says that
every class should have voice" In
the government. That seerns TO be a
very SERIOUS snisconception OF The
| American Political situation: Tho real
trouble wifi Us Is that some classes
haveshad toOsmueh voice. One ofs the
| most fmborfant OF all the lessons to be
tdught sdndlto be learned Is That a man
should vote not as a Representative of
| a class. sbdt merely as asgoOdf citizen,
whose prime interests are the same as
those Of all Mother good citizens,
rates ADisbsiisf II tho sPsoels."
Mr.. TaftFagain ana agalH.lin quota
lions I have given ana elsewhere
through hlspspeecH. expresses hfs dis.
belief in tie people when they vote at
the polls. III one sentence he says that
the proposition gives powerful effect
"a tlie morneitaf!y impulse otd major
fty' Of ali electorate ana prepares the
way for The possible exercise Of the
| grossest tyranny" Elsewhere he
speaks Of the .tfeverish uncertainty"
aid punishable determination" Of laws
by "tempOrary and changing majort-
ties" and again he says that the sys-
tenn propose "would resultin suspen.
sion III application Of constitutional
guarantees according TO popular
whtm,s which would destroy '"all pos
sibie consistency" Ii constitutional In.
depreciation / Should much Ike to
know the exact distinction that is to
ibe made between what Mr. Taft calls
Isfhe ftful impulse Of a temporary ma.
SpSrity" when applied TO a Question such
VS. that + raise and any other question
Remember that tnder my proposal to
lresyieww d rule F6f decision By popular
s,.t TO- ~ st,+,,t,on would certainly
10 ~. iSs.F tryo vesI.s from. tlIe time
OF the election Of the Legislature which
;, ~ I,atroSn tha nos5instion nj fba
Isiect,on ~ man ma nresldest 70 All
Sor four vcars tlie most important or.
Acc IN the'lsnd In one of Mr. Tafrs
lIsneeches be Sneaks ~ "tAe voice OF
~ noonIe y cn1STSIn,, naxt to tlia Voice
il cod " 4 IN rontlv fhpn tbe decision
|. - fhs neonIe n bont No presidency. att.
4! fos;,r Mouths, deliSera,Ion 4 "a III
tr6atoG 10 Snsv+ 10 III voice Of Cod !"
/ huff after two years Of sober thought
tSay jsc,Ss nat women AMI children
s s he nrotacted IN Industry, or men
n,.ntactea fron excpssIse hours Of labor
,,nJ,er. Tnhvvan,q conditions or wage
workers roIoncnssted when they lose
Iife or limh IN the service Of others,
tben tbair decision forthwith becomes
n "wbim" md "feyerish" and .'unsta-
blev and m exercise Of "the grossest
tyrannyr apl the "laying Of the az 10
the foot Of the tree Of freedom" That
"a tbe old old doctrine which has been
acted upon for thousands Of years
,-sy,' a.