The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-29

of the men. women and children Of
whom this nation is composed. We
are engaged in one OF the great bat
ties of the age-long contest waged
against\ privilege on behalf Of the
common welfare We hold 1t a prime
duty of the people to free our gov
eminent from the control of money
In politics For this purpose we ad-
vocate, not as ends in themselves, but
as weapons in the hands of the peo-
pie. all governmental devices which
will make the representatives of the
people more easily and certainly re-
sponsible to the peoples will
Constitution and the People.
am emphatically a believer In
constitutionalism, and because of this
fact ! no less ernphatically protest
against any theory that would make
Of the Constitution a means of thwart-
ing instead of securing the absolute
right of the people to rule themselves
and TO provide for their own social
and industrial well-being. All consti-
tutions, those of the states no less
than that of the nation, are designed,
and must be interpreted and admin
istered. so as to fit human rights.
Lincoln so interpreted and admins
tered the national Constitution. Bu-
chanan attempted to reverse. attempt
ed to fit human rights to. and limit
them by, the Constitution. It was
Buchanan who treated the courts as a
fetish who protested against and con-
demned all criticism Of the judges
Tor unjust and unrTgnreous decisions,
and upheld the Constitution as an in
strument for the protection of priv
ilege and Of vested wrong. II was
Lincoln who appealed to the people
against the judges when the judges
went wrong, who advocated and Sc
cured what was practically the recall
OF the bred Scott decision, and who
treated the Constitution as a living
force for righteousness. We stand
for applying the Constitution to the
issues Of today as Lincoln applied it
to the issues of his day.
II hold it to be the duty of every
public servant, and of every man who
in public or in private life holds a
position Of leadership In thought or
action, to endeavor honestly and fear.
lessly to guide his fellow-country-
men to right decisions; but emphat-
ically dissent from the view that It is
either wise or necessary to try to de
wise methods which under THE Consti-
tuition will automatically prevent the
people from deciding for themselves
what governmental action they deem
just and proper. Constitu-
ticn-makers should make it clear be-
yond shadow of doubt that the people
in their legislative capacity have the
power to enact into law any measure
they deem necessary for the better
ment Of social and Industrial condi-
TONS The wisdom of framing any
particular law Of this kind is a proper
subject Of debate; but the power of
the people to enact the law should not
be subject to debate. To hold the
contrary view is to be false to the
cause Of the people. to the cause Of
American democracy.
Aim Of Good Government.
The ends of good govern
ment in our democracy are to secure
by genuine popular rule high aver
age of moral and material well-being
among our citizens- 1t has been well
said that In the past we have paid
attention only to the accumulation of
and that from henceforth
we must pay equal attention to the
proper distribution of prosperity. This
Is tue. The only prosperity worth
having IL that which affects the mass
of the people. hold it to be our
duty to see that the wags-worker. the
small producer, the ordinary consum-
q. shall ret their fair eharo It the