The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-02-29
Communicated
President Taft's Ideas of ~ People
Not Eitted for clf-GOYcrnment.r

Not Fitted for self Government
Ever since Arizona applied for
statehood desiring the principles of
the initiative, referendum and recall
embodied, there has been an influence
from the language used in reference
thereto. severely against these pro-
gressive principles and against more
especially the recall of judges. where
i'm popular government has been look
ed upon together with the people adj
vocating these reforms as visionary
and unrestrained, and hence untitled
for sebf-gvernment. The greatest ex-
ponent of this idea Judging from the
stand OF President Taft, has been
himself. Not so much from the view
point as president of great nation
hut seemingly more from self-ex-
allied feeling towards the immaculate
judiciary. No man tan have more
exalted opinion of not only n judge
who Is honest and upright but of all
public officials i'm our government,
when they deserve IL, than myself.
But when that idea Is falsely enter
tanned, insofar that prejudice steps
in and blinds one. 1t Is time for that
idea to cease and that feeling of
SUPERIORITY should be taken for
what II is worth. The president was
speaking 20 the Nes York state bar,
composed Of lawyers, Judges and pos
slbly others. and he was at home, and
his bravery and Independence broke
loose and found utterance In the eX-
preston that "it Is a fact that all
peoples are not fitted for popular gov
ernment and that some dare not say
so, but that he dare say So" and in
this he shows his animus against the
progressive element OF the people
that cannot be mistaken as to the
FAC; what his opinion is that the
mob or common people are not TO
be trusted with the conduct and man
agement of the government, hut this
is to be left TO the elect, the few, the
aristocracy whose blood is blue and
whose ermine has been inherited and
handed down from the days of yore,
Of the feudal system of special privi-
lege for that aristocracy. And | con-
tend that there Is no worse form Of
ARISTOCRACY than an official aris-
tocracy in Republican form of gov
ernment / have no dotibt from these
utterances Of his against the recall.
the |. & r., that the idea is fully en-
tertained against "a people" who
would establish these needed reforms
in the government FOR the people,
for he in his explanation from Wash
ington of what he really meant he
SAYS. The question whether the peo-
pie are fitted for self-governmen, 50
as 10 make the government FOR that
people Is determined by the ability
Of the MAJORITY of that people 10
place upon itself the RESTRAINT by
which the MINORITY shall RE-
CEIVE JUSTICE from the majority"
Does not Mr.. Taft hold that the peo-
pie have no right to recall a judge
or judges? Does he not hold against
these reforms in toto? Whom did he
mean when he said The question
whether people is fitted for self
government Is determined by the abil-
| ity of the MAJORITY to restrain it.
self so the minority SHALL receive JUS
tice from the MAJORITY" Whom
did he mean by that majority. The
people of course. Whom did he mean
by that minority? Was 1t not the
onicialdom of the people? Did he
not have in mind these reforms when
he uttered this language? And what
could he have meant by IL? Put all
Mr.. Taft has said together about these
reforms and pass your opinion what
he really means. Talk about the MA
JORTY RESTRAINING ITSELF, My
| God had we not better talk about
the restraint Of the minority in the
form of the trusts" 'the combines"
the monopolies' the interests, Wall
street and the money power. which
practically runs and rules this coun-
try, and the MAJORITY. and to rem
edy which we are bound to have the
initiative, the referendum and the re-
call in its fullest and finest power,
so II may be easily applied at once
without the damnable principle of