Evening journal., 1912-02-17
THE MOBOCRACY
AND TIE MOBOCRACY
BY John S. Hamilton.

Every political sign of the times
indicates progress and marked prog
ress at that. while to the superficial
or hurried observer everything looks
as If chaos and confusion were con-
founded. Observe conditions closely.
however, and you can see the arm
les lining up. Analyze the articles
Of war and weigh well what the
leaders say and you will find that on
one side there is a body of men who
believe the people are fit to be trust
ed and on the other side there is an
organization which contends that
the people are unfit to rule them
selves and that those in power are
not only fit to rule themselves bur
as well.
No study may as well employ the
human mind as a consideration Of
this great subject embraces. Il is
not necessary that a man should have
matriculated or graduated at a uni
versity to b competent to approach
/ 1t without fears as to his compe-
tency to decide it for himself. II is
merely the study of human nature. IL
is unquestionably true that large
part of the electorate is unfit to
govern itself AS a matter of fact.
the writer does not think it would be
approaching the limits of audacity to
say that no man is iit to govern
himself II men We're fit to govern
themselves we would find ourselves
in Heaven; when a man is fit to gov
ern himself we will have a god When
all this is said. however. it does not
prove that mankind left alone aud
properly protected by laws against
humbugs and marplots will not gov
rern themselves better than any hered-
itary ruler or ruling class.
At this time We have in this coun-
try a ruling caste They have pros
, tituted their sacred calling. As gov
ernors they have failed utterly and
disastrously and If they have failed II
z is because they have ruled not for the
I people but for themselves These
people might have ruled indefinitely
II they had considered the right of the
. people to rule and had administered
] the law with equity and justice This
= however, is exactly what they have
> not done. Many of them have done
their mischievous work through
ignorance. some of them through the
I most vicious kind of selhshness.
Through it all. all Of them have
shown their utter and complete in
? competence.
They have passed laws that gave
power and rights to private interests
that should have remained a function
2 Of the state. They have contem-
plated the government merely as
means to get favors for themselves
y and their friends and they apparently
= did not know or cid not care that all
these things must inevitably return
some day to haunt them. At this
) time these failures, the incompetents.
these. the thoroughly mercenary who
have betrayed every possible indica-
z tion that they We're ignorant or IN
!, different to the genius and spirit OF
our Institutions, have the impudence
and effrontery to stand up before the
whole people and talk about the incom-
/ potency of the people to rule and TO
speak about their fear of mobocracy
as they call it.
This country. for the past twenty
e years. has been ruled by an organ
n lied mob. The leaders and those re-
sponsible for this mob are the men
V who have been receiving unjust fav-
c ors from legislation. The mob IS
1t made up of the ignorant the vicious,
II and the unfit. who have been bought
Of for price and led to the polls TO
6 thwart and embarass those who
!. would have the people rule One Of
the most amusing things of the day
D. is to hear these people talk Of the
De mob, when they are for and by the
mob, the only mob that is TO be fear
At ed and that has already done its
,e miserable work and all the harm
IN probably that it can do. These poor
rs wretches also call men demagogues
D. who come openly and plainly advo-
IN eating what they believe is for the
erI peope's good and work in the day
"a light. II apparently never occurs TO
u, the ruling caste that the men who
Ie have nrostituted this government have
IL done It surrentitiouslv and hv stealth
nl and in the evesSof enlightened people
,s ~ they are sure sooner or later. TO oc-
"a cnnv position lower than tho most
- nt.....4 l,r,o ooona fbaf oyor lived