The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1912-08-29

ca, In the sense Of having the power
to formulate the policy, enact the
legislation and control the govern.
ment, and point to the election of
1908 for proof. The protest Of every
man who voted for President Taft |
and who is now dissatisfied with the
presidents management of public at
fairs proves that for four years a
minority has been the majority In !
America.
The social condition which we call |
Democracy and which finds its avenue
of expression at the polls through our
party, is unalterably opposed to special
privilege whether granted by the law
or seized by ruthless ambition. It Is
true the mother of all special privilege
is the high protective tariff. All who
voted the Democratic ticket at the last
presidential election were unalterably
opposed to this system of unjust taxa
ton and sufficient number OF those
who voted the Republican ticket were
likewise convinced Of it's iniQuity to
make an overwhelming majority
against it. Save a favored few, all
were agreed that relief, to a greater
or less extent, should be afforded to
the people from the unjust exact1ons
of this sytem. All knew that we could
not educate the people Of America in
discriminatory, enlarge their views OF
life and happiness and then by the
high cost of living deprive them of
their pleasures without making Of
American life seething caldron of
discomfort. Theoretically speaking.
therefore, the majority of votes, hav-
ing put party in power upon p
platform, pledged to relieve the peo-
under constitutional limitations. But
this is not so. Immediately after the
election the minority became the ma
jority in the sense that it assumed
control of legislation with reference
to special privilege. All the members
Of the Democratic party and all the
protesting members of the Republic
an party have been in the minority
when 1t came to counting votes where
the count fixed the cost of living. 1t
may be said that this is mere acct
dent of politics, single illustration,
and that it will not occur again. But
| it is no accident. It is only one of the
many Illustrations. 1t simply dis
closes the utter folly of man remain
| ing a member of a party when the
party policy ceases to voice his inner
spirit. The Republican party does not
recede now from it's protective theory.
Its return to power will mean again
the rule of minority and the theo-
retical idea of Democracy will continue
to be the practical aristocracy of spe-
cial privilege in this country.
Choice for the Voter.
The voter who cannot satisfy him.
self this year is indeed censorious.
Eliminating the verbiage of platforms,
taking their substance and viewing the
candidates placed on them, the voter
who believes that the cost of produc-
ton at home and abroad should be
equalized to the manufacturer Of this
country and who wants an oligarchy to
rule, may vote the straight Republic
an ticket; the voter who believes in a
similar protective theory but who pre-
fers to an oligarchy that the president
shall be the state, may vote the Pro-
gressive ticket; the voter who believes
this government should be turned into
a socialism, may vote the Socialistic
ticket; the voter who thinks that
church and state are not separate in
America and that the people have a
right to settle religious questions and
to determine by ballot what is good
and what is bad, may vote the Prohibi-
ton ticket; and all those who insist
that 1t is not the business of the gov
eminent to equalize the cost Of pro-
duction at home and abroad to the
manufacturer until it equalizes the diff
ference in the purchase price to the
consumer at home and abroad, who
believes that the only equalization jus
tifable in our government is the
equalization Of opportunity, who thinks
that public Office is public trust, who
does not believe that disgruntled and
defeated politicians are genuine re.
formers, and who think that reforms
are not born with sore toes, may
vote the Democratic ticket.
l
respectfully urge all those who are
opposed to special privilege to ally
themselves this year with the historic
Democracy, the cornerstone of whose
edifice is the Declaration of indie
pendence and the keystone of which il
the Golden Rule. At Baltimore, il
proved it's right to be because there II
arose and by it's proposed policy met
the needs and wants of people.
Results Of Economic Injustice.
1t is idle for thoughtful man IL
America, whether millionaire or pau
per, to longer play the ostrich. Safe
ty does not consist In hiding one!
head in the sands of either sentimen
or hope. It is foolish for the vastly
rich to keep on insisting that more
and more shall be added to their richie!
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