Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-03-15

VIZ AtAoA0 0AOct4Pc government u tHtt
people by the people and for the peo-
pie.
"Our opponents, on the contrary,
take Mr.. McKinley's view that we are
engaged IN a game in which the ill
terests of the people, it is true. are
at stake, but in which the people t! em-
selves are not to have their choice. Mr..
McKinley's position was stated with
frank cynicism by Congressman Camp
EEL on behalf Of the reactionary ci
ment in the Republican party, when, in
recent speech in New Hampshire, he
is Quilted as 'rousing the greatest en-
thusiasm by declaring that the Repub-
lican party does not believe in an APP
peal from the umpire to the bleachers. ;
"Mr. Campbell has simply stated
moro frankly the view held by Mr.. Me
Kinley's statement and generally held
among our opponents. Their feeling is
that politics is a game, that the people
should merely sit on the hleachers as
spectators and that no appeal lies to
he people from the men, who for their
own profit are playing the game.
Lincoln Again.
"It is astounding that men should
venture to take such position and it
shows that those men, and those for
whom they speak and whom they repre-
sented, have wandered far indeed from
the ground held by Abraham Lincoln
when he declared this to be govern
ment dedicated to the welfare of the
common people and to be managed
justly and honorably by those plain
people for their own welfare in accord
ance with the immutable laws of right
eousness.
"Our opponents take the view that
this contest is merely game, that
the object of the contest is to win
prizes for the contestants, and that
public office is the reward that goes
to the winners of the game, and that,
therefore, it takes a piece Of allowable
smartness to refuse to make changes in
the laws during the progress Of the
contest, if these changes would deprive
the field captains of the political world
Of the advantage they hold over the
plain people.
The Issue.
"In short, the issue may be stated
as follows: Should election laws be
framed with a view of the interests
of politicians or should election laws
be framed with view to carrying out
that popular will9'
"We have on the one hand Mr.. Me
kinley and Mr.. Campbell and the re-
dictionary element for which they
stand, an element which has made it
evident that thcy prefer to see the
Et:schiican party III rather than
to see it again what it was in the days
Of Lincoln and on the other hand,
those who believe that the Republican
party can and shall be made now what
it was under Lincoln-a great instru-
nent for the achievement Of righteous
ness through the rule Of the plain peo-
Pc.
w regard the present contest not as
a contest between NATURALIZATION we
are not concerned for the welfare Of any
particular individual, neither with mine
but as contest between two radical
iy different views Of the function Of
politics in the great democracy.
"Therefore we demand that states
like Illinois, Michigan, New York,
Massachusetts, be given the chance to
express their preference IN rresldrnt':ll
primaries as to whom they wish for
president. Practically the entire body
Of professional politicians is pitted
against us in this contest and in every
state and in every congressional dis
trict they are led by the Office holders
who, with the examples before them,
Of what was done with the nominations
for the local offices in North Carolina,