Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-03-26

InlS De not Wise Icmcuy, icL IHooC
who criticise it propose a wise rem
edy, and not confine themselves to
railing at government by a majority
of the American people as govern
ment by the mob To propose, as an
alternative remedy, slight modlflca'
tons OF impeachment proceedings is
to propose no remedy at ALT is to
bid us be content with chaff when we
demand bread.
The decisions of which we com
plain are, as rule, based upon the
constitutional provision that no per
son shall be deprived of life, liberty
or property without due process OF
law The terms life, liberty and
property have been used in the con.
situations Of the English-speahng PEG
pies since Magma Charta. Until with
in the last sixty years they were
treated as having specific meanings;
property" meant tangible property;
liberty" meant freedom from per-
sonal restraint, or, in other words
from imprisonment in its largest def
milton. About 1870 our courts began
to attach to these terms new mean
ings. Now property" has come to
mean every right Of value which
person could enjoy, and liberty" has
been made to include the right to
make contracts. AS result, when
the state limits the hours for which
women may labor. it is told by the
courts that this law deprives them o.
their liberty; and when 1t restricts
the manufacture of tobacco In tene
ment, 1t is told that the law depr1ves
the landlord of his property. Now
! do not believe that any people, and
especially our free American people
will long consent that the term LID
erty" shall be defined for them by
bench of judges. Every people has
defined that term for itself IN the
course of it's historic development
OF course 1t is plain enough to seq
that, in a large way, the political his
tory OF man may be grouped about
these three terms, life, liberty ana
property" There Is no act OF gov
eminent which cannot be broughs
within their definition, and II thf
courts are to cease to treat them a
words having limited, specific mean
ing, then our whole government
brought under the practically IRE.
sponsible supervision Of judges. A.
against that kind OF q government
insist that the people have the right
and can be trusted, to govern them.
selves. This our opponents deny; ano
the issue is sharply drawn between
us.
prefer TO work with moderate
with rational. conservatives, provided
only that they do In good faith strive
forward towards the light. But when
they halt and turn their backs to the
light, and sit with the scorners on
the seats of reaction, then must
part company with them. We the peo
pie cannot turn back. Our aim muss
be steady, wise progress.
Friends, our task as Americans Il
to strive for social and industrial
Justice. achieved through the genuine
rule OF the people. This Is our end,
our purpose The m ethods for achiev.
ing the end are merely expedientA
to be finally accepted or rejected 40.
cording as actual experience shows
that they work well or III. But iB
our hearts we must have this LOFTY
purpose, and we must strive for It In
all earnestness and sincerity, or our
work will come to nothing. In order
to succeed we need leaders OF in
spired idealism, leaders to whom are
granted great visions, who dream
greatly and strive to make their
dreams come true; who can kindie
the people with the fire from their
own burning souls. The leader for
the time being. whoever he may be. il
but an instrument, to be used until
broken and then to be cast aside; and
IL he is worth his salt he will care no
more when be is broken than sol
der cares when he is sent where his
life Is forfeit in order that the VIC
tory may be won. In the long light
for righteousness the watchword Tor
all Of us is spend and be spent. II
Is of little matter whether any one
man fails or succeeds; but the cause
shall not fail. for 1t is the cause Of
mankind. We, here in America, hold
in our hands the hope OF the world,
the fate OF the coming years; and
shame and disgrace will be ours II In
our eyes the light Of high resolve II
dimmed, If we trail in the dust the
golden hopes OF men. II on this new
continent we merely build another
country of great but unjusuy divided
material prosperity. we shall have
done nothing; and we shall do as lit
tie II we merely set the greed or
envy against the greed OF arrogance,
and thereby destroy the material we'll
being of all OF us. To turn this gov
eminent either into government by
a plutocracy or government by mob
would be TO repeat on larger scale
the lamentable failures of the world
that is dead We stand against all
tyranny, by the few or by the many.
We stand for the rule Of the many In
the interest of all of us. for the rule
of the many in spirit OF courage
NJ common sense of high purpose,