Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-06-13
THE PEOPLES RULE.

the American people are cOmplacent.
They have learned long ago that the
alpha and omega of virtue does not
lie in political machines. They feel
that they have been long enough di-
vided against their interests by a
party fealty that means at the most
only that one organization or the
other will gather in the spoils.
The only chance for the republi-
can party then is to secure a compro-
mise candidate who can unite the
Taft and Roosevelt factions, and pre-
sent a united front to the democratic
forces" shouts a local republican
organ so much lost in party success
that it fails utterly to grasp the tenn
per of the American people.
The truth is the people do not care
a rap for republican or democratic
success. The thing they want is hon
est legislation in the interest of the
many. Old party traditions are
crumbling; the demand is growing
for right action. The people are not
now much welded to protective tar
iff on the one hand or tariff for rev.
enue only on the other. They are
beginning to see that one really
means the same as the other so long
as political policies, both republican
and democratic, are dictated by those
looking for advantage in legislation
and administration. They are begin
ming to understand that the real
need is that kind of legislation and
administration that will bring about
equal opportunities and destroy ia
Voritism. No matter under what
party name it is to be accomplished,
the sole issue is its accomplishment.
The people are tired of fighting
windmills. However attractive the
politicians may make them, the
American voter will pay little atten-
tion to them in the future.
Theoretically this is a government
for the peolpe and by the people.
The national determination is that it
shall be for the people. Political
manipulation through party ma
chimes makes it plain enough that a
government by party does not mean
government by the people. The de-
mand that is paramount now is that
this be made in fact a government
by the people.
Out of these considerations has
arisen the almost universal demand
for direct election of United States
senators, the initiative and referen-
dun and recall, and the direct nomi-
nation of presidential candidates
through the primary. This demand
will not subside until all of these
have been accomplished. The day of
party machine control is at an end.
The coming national convention
dominated by steam roller tactics,
will be the last. Wherever the
choice of republican candidates has
been put squarely up to the people
through the preferential primary, or
the election of delegates through the
primary, Mr.. Taft has been the last
choice. Notwithstanding that,
through machine methods he will
likely be the republican nominee, and
the death knell of the republican
machine will have been sounded.
Either Roosevelt will win on an in
dependent ticket or the democratic
ticket will be successful. The people
will not longer stand for Taft and
the interests and policies he repre-
sents. The politicians will learn the
force of the saying, You can lead a
horse to water, but you cannot make
him drink"
These political machine smashing
times are glorious days. The people
do not fear the result-only the pie
counter crowd is trembling po-
litical organization, both republican
and democratic, has slipped away
from the people and is now in the
hands of men who care not so much
for good government as they do for
personal advancement and favorit-
ism.
The results of the coming presi-
Dental election will clearly demon
strate the temper of the people and
their determination that this govern
ment henceforth shall be for and by
the people.
After that the way will be easy
from party convention to general pri-
maries throughout the nation. That
means the peoples rule.
The first essential of success is in