The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-03-28

ular government and when they must
accept it, accept it with reluctance
and hedge around 1t with every spe-
cies of restriction and check and bal
ancs SO as to make the power of the
people as limited and ineffective as
possible. Mr. Taft fairly defines the
Issue when he says that our govern
ment is and should be government
Of all the people by a republican part
OF the people. This is an excellent
and moderate description of an dig
archy. 1t defines our government as
| q government for few of the people.
| am not speaking critically nor do
| mean to be unkind, for | believe that
many honorable and well meaning
men OF high character take this view
and have taken 1t from the time of
| the formation Of the nation. Essen
| TALLY this view is that the constitu-
| ton is strait jacket TO be used for
the control of an unruly patient-the
people. Now / hold that this view is
not only false, but mischievous, that
our constitutions are instruments de-
signed to secure Justice by securing
TIC uEHDCl due Uul tlltCLlNG S8pItS0lOu
of the popular will, that the checks
and balances are valuable as far and
only so far as they accomplish that
elaboration and that it is a warped
and unworthy and improper construc-
ton OF our form of government to see
in it only a means of thwarting the
popular will and of preventing justice.
Mr. Taft 40 nIa
should have a voice" in the govern
ment. That seems to me very SER
ious misconception of the American
political situation. The real trouble
with US is that some classes have had
too much voice. One of the most i'm
portant of all the lessons to be taught
and to be learned is that a man should
vote not as representative of class,
but merely as good citizen, whose
prime interests are the same as those
OF all other good citizens.
Taft's disbelief in the People"
Mr.. Taft again and again in quota |
lions l have given and elsewhere in !
this speech expresses his disbelief in
the people when they vote at the polls |
In one sentence he says that the |
proposition gives powerful effect to
the momentary impulse of a majority |
of an electorate and prepares the way
for the positive exercise of the gross
est tyranny" Elsewhere he speaks
of the "feverish uncertainty" and "un-
stable determination of laws" by tenn
porary and changing majorities, and
h. hpV 10 I /
pose, would result in suspension OF
application of constitutional guaran-
tees according to popular whim,"
which would destroy "all possible con-
in constitutional interpreta-
ton. | should much like to know
the exact distinction that is to be
made between what Mr.. Taft calls
majority" when applied to a question
such as that l raise and any other
question. Remember that under my
to review rule of decision
by popular vote, amending or con-
STRUNG to that extent the constitu-
ion could certainly take at least two
years from the time of the election
u NAAC ACEASAaNuAC "l4ACA pdSSCu tue
let. Now, only four months elapse
between the nomination and the cleo
ion of man as president to fill for
our years the most important office
n the land. In one of Mr. Taft's
peeches he speaks of the voice of
he people as coming next to the voice
f God" Apparently, then, the de-
ision of the people about the presi-
ency, after four more years of DELHI
ration, is to be treated as next to
he voice of Cod" but if after two
ears of sober thought they decide
hat women and children shall be :
in industry, or men protect :
d from excessive hours of labor I'M
er unhygienic conditions, or wage ;
orkers compensated when they lose I;
fe or limb in the service of others, !,
len their decision forthwith becomes :
within" and feverish and unstable" :
nd an exercise of the "grossest tyran- 8
y" and the laying of the axe at the =
'ot of the tree OF freedom
That is the old, old doctrine which :
rs been acted upon for thousands of :,
ears abroad and which here in Amer '
a has been acted upon sometimes :
,enly, sometimes secretly, for forty :
,ars by many men in public and in !,
ivate life, and l am sorry to say by :,
any judges, a doctrine which has in :,
ct tended to create a bulwark for :
ivileges, a bulwark unjustly protect :,
g special interests against the rights y
the people as a whole. This doc -
ne is to me a dreadful doctrine, for -
effect is, and can only be, to make =,
e courts the shield of privilege :,
ainst popular rights. Naturally, ev- ~,
Y upholder and beneficiary of crook :.
privilege loudly applauds the doc -,
ne. 1t is behind the shield of that -
ctrine that crooked clauses creep ~
o laws that men of wealth control '.
~
Remember, / am not discussing the -,
all of judges-although l wish it -
tinctly understood that the recall 20
a mere piece of machinery to take ~
place of the unavoidable impeach- w
Mt which Mr.. Taft in effect defends ,s
| that If the days of Maynard ever -
ne back again in the state OF New ~. ~
TX l should favor it. have no wish -
come to it, but our opponents when -,