Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-03-21
5udge Van Wagner Says Voters
Believe He Can Restore Pop
uIar Government.
THAT Is PARAMOUNT ISSUE
Voters Have No Faith That Tariff
Question Can Be Settled Until
They Are Restored to
Full Power.
BY JUDGE A. VAN WAGNER,
of Sioux City, Iowa.

The first and most important thing
90 do In determining who Is the
strongest candidate for any Office Is to
figure out what Is the paramount issue
in the campaign. 1t may be well to
remark here that paramount issues
are not made by the politicians nor
by political platforms.
The paramount issue in this cam
paign in my judgment is the rcsto-
ration OF popular government. The
people have no faith that they can in
telligently settle the tariff question or
any other until they have restored
free government AZ we had 1t In the
days when men elected to Office ac-
knowledged the sovereignty OF the
people and were content to do their
will. The people are not blind. They
can see that certain politicians and
political bosses, rich and otherwise
powerful men and political machines
very largely control nominations and
elections and when they do not con-
troll the election they are generally
able to control the administration of
government. They have discovered
also that there Is Il certain lnsidious
power which wealth has in the manip-
Alatlon OF politics and public affairs
aud In this way the great voice OF the
whole people OF the union has been
utifled for many decades. 1t was the
hope of the people that after the preju-
dices OF war had subsidized popular
government would be reinstated, but
tnstead of getting better 1t Is getting
worse. The outside influences which
have power In the administration OF
government are becoming more sue
cessful every day. Naturally the mem
bers of congress and officers In almost
all stations, state and federal, and the
politicians are unable to see this.
They rather have an admiration for
these powers which hold out such
promising pledges of support.
The people distinctly understood
that II Woodrow Wilson could be put
IN the presidential chair, for four
years no man who has a selfish inter.
est would have word to say in his
administration. We would have an adj
miniBtration In the United States as
he gave them in New Jersey whore
the political boss and the predatory
Interests would have not word to
say and the people are inclined to be-
neve that one such administration by
such strong minded man as Wood
row Wilson would probably restore
completely without any change in law
\ government really and truly by the
people In this country.
II we cannot elect men who will
properly understand and put into ef-
feet the will Of the people then we
will have to substitute some sort Of
machinery that will assist the people
To do SO. The initiative and referonr
DUN are means principally talked Of.
That Is not the only remedy, however
Some very good progressive Demo-
Gratis favor the system followed by
the English parliament. That would
be to suggest that whenever occasion
arose we should adjourn congress and
20 to the people on some particular
issue. The advocates OF this theory
point to the promptness with which
Canada settled the reciprocity ques-
ton.
Governor Wilson's personal idea is
that we should resort to the initiative
and referendum. Personally 1t Is my
idea that this Is the remedy to which
we Will have to resort If we are re-
CURED to change the machinery Of
government In order to make It pos.
sible for the people to rule. Governor
Wilson, however, Is the profoundest
statesman OF the age. Whenever ma
chine politicians go to him they think
he Is very stubborn because he Will
not listen to their schemes at all ie
Is irreconcilably opposed to everything
but government by the people. He
has nothing In common with the po-
Mtical boss.
Everywhere Governor Wilson is the
Idol Of the common people. He has
the same faith In the common people
and In free government which made
Thomas Jefferson's name immortal.
He has the same fearlessness of the
political machine and political boss
which we admired so much In Andrew
Jackson and he has the same clear
conception Of the fundamental prin-
ciples Of free government which came
so nearly making Samuel ]. Tilden
president of the United States. There
are those who constantly think OF
masses of the people rs a great bunch
of ignorance. They don't stop to OBJ
serve that the common people have
always moved the world and have
either had to shove the politicians and
their rulers ahead of them or drag
them behind them In the march OF
progress. Public opinion Is mightier
than law because you cannot enforce
D law without It.
Today the consensus Of the opinion
a the people OF this country picks out
Wilson as the one man who can give
them free government In It's purity
and they do II not by instinct but
based upon considerations such as are
AAroim forth