Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-08
Republic an Experiment

AS against the leader of this new
party at the current date it is urged
that he seeks to be dictator. The
assertion is not true. If it were true,
would the dictatorship of an honest
and courageous man be worse than the
dictatorship of a cunning and avari-
cious oligarchy? The former might do
something for you and me, the latter
would do nothing. If this were Roose-
veltland and not America, 1 would as
lieve live in it as though it were Kuhn
Loebland or >Rockefellerland or Harri-
mainland or Morganland. Choose as
you like for your own self.
Great Britain still considers the
American republic an experiment. If
the fashion of the Taft convention
Great Britain is right. If we are to
be ruled from Wall street and not
from Washington Great Britain is
right. The underlying principle of this
republic is the idea of the old town
meeting in which the majority ruled
If the majority is not to rule in Amer
lea, then Great Britain is right, and
this republic is an eXperimen and it
has failed. If we are to be governed
by such rulers as the men who domi-
mated the Taft conve .tion at Chicago
then Great Britain is right and this
republic has failed.
But because there are many men
in America who are not weak, who
are not willing to accept the wishes
of an oligarchy, who are not willing
to be dominated by pretenders, there
was a protest, there was a third parry
In other words, when the time came,
this republic decided that it had not
been a failure, that it intended to go
on, and that it intended to settle its
own troubles as they arose, in the
middle Of the street That is why a
good many of US are Progressives to-
day. 1t is your privilege to remain a
standpat man if you like, and to ally
yourself with either old party if you
like. The world will go on just the
same.
We are at the brink of the third
war of American independence, the
most tremendous and the most vitality
important war of the three. This is
the war on the side Of the old town
meeting, and against the rule of a
rich oligarchy built up on special priv
ilege and in violation of the ancient
law of an even break and fair play.
You can read in history of very
many wars like this, if you like. This
is bread war, the war Of a people
demanding better living conditions, a
fairer, a more even chance in the hu-
man struggle. Read all the history
you like. Did you ever read of a
bread war which had any other thai
just one end? The hungry have al
ways won. There never was an honest
leader of a bread war who died un-
known to his own times or unforg ot-
ten of later times. The cause of hu-
man need is the one cause that will
not be denied.
All over the world, decade by dec
ade, year by year, in every nation,
the house of commons has grown,
whereas the prestige of the house of
lords has waned. This is true for
Great Britain, for Germany for China.
China has her republic today. Let us
not abandon hope. We may yet have
one in America Who knows?
1t may be that you have married
money or made 1t easily, and that hence
you classify yourself with the house
Of lords. 1t is your privilege to do
so. The world will move on just the
same. 1t is your privilege, II you like.