The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-05
Victory Was at Chicago

victory was at chicago
eve were beaten in the last election
We ran third in the race. Why Is it that
we gather here with so much spirit and
with so little disappointment and humilia-
ton? Is it not that in spite of the defeat
recorded at the election in November, we
were still victorious in saving our country
from an administration, whose policy III
volved the sapping of the foundation of
democratic, constitutional representative
government, whose appeals We're calcu-
lated to arouse class hatred that has here
tofore been the ruin of popular govern
ment, and whose contempt for the linli-
tations of constitutional law and the
guarantee of civil liberty promised chaos
and anarchy?
"The result of the Chicago convention
was a triumph for the permanence of re-
publican institutions, the Importance of
which cannot be exaggerated. We meet
in no spirit of despair, but rather to re-
joice in a victory for law and order 1t
is true that we were defeated at the polls
by our old time opponent, the democratic
party 1t is true that we are now going
to work out again the problem of eating
our cake and having il. too, by showing
how it is possible to change from sys-
tenn of protection for manufactured in
dustries to their detriment and without
hating production or lowering wages.
''It is true that we are to witness an
attempt to satisfy the crying need for a
new banking and currency system by a
plan which is to embody as many as pos
sibe of the features of the Aldrich mone-
tary commission plan disguised as much
as may be so as to permit denial of any
resemblance. 1t is true that we are to
witness a change of officeholders from
republican to democrats, and we are to
see how economical the new administra-
ton is to be as compared with the Ola
We have been through this before. II
may be at this time they can do what
they have not succeeded in doing hereto
fore, and. If so and they can maintain
the prosperity of the country at its pres
ent record level then we shall rejoice at
their success.
Majority May Be Unjust
"What is there in the present condi-
ton that the progressive party repre-
sents which can lead us to suppose that
human nature has so changed that no
restraint is necessary in all society 10
prevent one man from depressing an
other, or to prevent a majority or men
from depressing an individual or MI
nority? What is it that constitutional
limitations are TO. in a popular gov
ernment? popular government Is a
government by the people-that is by a
majority of the people, who under the
law are given the right to exercise the
electoral franchise, and constitutional
limitations are imposed to prevent the
misuse of the power of the majority, so
that the individual or the minority may
not suffer injustice through the action
of the majority. Where is the security
in present society that the majority
may not from time to time do injustice
to the minority and to the individual?
1T is said that We distrust the peo-
pie if we assume that the majority will
ever do injustice. In other words the
contention is that the vote. of the ma
jority is always right Well, as the
majority, in passing upon given ques-
ton, determines sometimes one way,
and sometimes another, in which case is
it right? If the wisdom of our fathers
and of the long line of able men who
have fought for popular government
has led to the introduction into every
scheme of government of restraints to
prevent injustice by the majority to the
minority and the individual, what is
there that has happened in recent years