The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-06-14

lief where 1t is most SOrelE Heeueu,
are not worth considering. In barring
Federal matters, the advocates of
these measures simply put themselves
where they have no ground to stand on.
1t is like passing a law against disor-
derly conduct along public highway
and repeating the law against murder,
theft and arson. The Federal laws are
the refuge of the oppressors and rob-
bers of the people and yet they pass
unscathed by these measures that are
calculated to uproot and destroy our
State governments, which after all
are the only protection of our people
and the only authority to which they
can appeal. They propose to shackle
our only friend and leave unharmed
our greatest foe.
SO. Some one exclaims: The voice
of the people is the voice of God and
any nan who puts himself in opposi-
ton to the expressed will of the peo-
pie, is obstructing a divine purpose.
Now, there are several things to be
considered: Who are the people and
how is their voice to be ascertained,
and when is it the voice of God? For
instance, in 1860, the voice Of South
Carolina was unanimously in favor of
slavery, and the voice of Vermont
was nearly completely the other way.
In what way shall we determine which
was the voice of God? At the time of
the crucifxion of Christ, the voice of
the people was unitedly, Cruelty
Him. yet it would be contradiction
in terms to call that the voice of God.
In the early history of New England,
everybody believed that there were
witches and that they ought to be
burned. Who today would be hardy
enough to say that the forefather of
Garrison, Sumner, Beecher and Whit
tier were uttering the voice of Divin-
ity itselfY In the early part of the
last century, when the New England
States were threatening to secede
from the Union and offering to make
a. separate peace with Great Britain
and were lighting fires along their
coasts to give signals to the British
ships. in open treachery and defiance
to the Union, were they voicing the in
nermost thoughts and secrets of the
Divine imagination? When st. Steph-
en- was stoned and when the flames
roared and cracked around the brave
and transfgured bodies of Latimer and
Ridley-the populace in each case,
looking on approvingly-whose was
the voice of God on these occasions?
No, it is the highest presumption and
impiety to make any such statement.
God has committed his voice and ora
cles to no man or set of men. Every
man is his own priest and interprets
Gods messages and plans in his own
way, without let or hindrance, or
without responsibility to anything or
anybody on the face OF the earth.
81 The question here is not ques-
ton of power or of the right of the
people, but a question of wisdom and
expediency. The individual is the end
and aim of Anglo-Saxon government.
independence and individuality have
been at the cornerstone Of all Saxon
commonwealth. The Saxon love OF
liberty, joined to the Roman respect
for law and refined by the Jewish law
of love of our fellowman, are the great
principles in modern life. These have
lifted the continents of civilization
above the dreary sea of barbarism and
death.
"All such elections would have to
take place at the general election
where only few people vote. A very
small minority by turning out en-
masse at the general election could put
into the statutes Or constitution the
most pernicious measures
that would be destructive of the rights
and liberties of the people. The pow
ers of the courts, officials and the leg
islature could be curtailed and destroy
ed in this way. Any one could get the
proper machinery in motion-provided
he had the necessary funds-fle the
proper papers and by vote upon
ballot title only, without possibility OF
on,o,dmant and without discussion