The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-24

resent them in important matters
The country is suffering today from
a decentralization of its ideals. Instead
of measuring people BY the manhood or
womanhood they manifest. we are too
prone to measure them by the amount
of money they possess, and this demor-
alization has naturally and necessarily
extended to politics Instead of asking
rs it right?. we are tempted to ask
"W1l it payg' and "Will 1t VIM AS
result the public conscience Is becoming
scared and the public service debauched.
We find corruption in elections and cor
ruption in office Men sell their votes,
councilmen sell their influence, while
state legislators and federal representa-
tives turn the government from Its legi-
innate channels and make it a private
asset in business.
How are we to tsop this eorrution? {?
Not by going into the market an bid
ding against our oppents but hy plac-
ling against money something stronger
than money. And what is stronger than
money2 A conscience is stronger than
moneyC a conscience that will enable
man to stand by a stake and smile
while the flames consume him is
stronger than money, and we Gust ap-
peal to the conscience-not to a demo-
cratic conscience, but to an American
conscience and to Christian coincidence
against the onflowing tide of corrup
tion in the United states
We must have parties in this country.
Jefferson said that there were naturally
two parties in every eountry-a demo-
cratic party and an aristocratie party (and
he did not use the word democratic
in partisan sense, for at that time the
party which we now call democratic was
called the republican party) jefferson
said democratic party would naturally
ldaw to itself those who believe in the
people and trust them, while an aristo-
cratic party would naturally draw to it.
self those who do net believe in or trust
the people. jefferson was right Go into
any country in Europe, and you will find
a party of some name that is trying to
increase the participation of the people
in the government, and you Will also
find a party of some name which is OBJ
strueting every step toward popular gov
ernment. We have the same difference
In this country, but the democratic spirit
is broader here than any party. Wherever
the question has been clearly presented
and on the one side there was an at
tempt to carry the government nearer to
the people and on the other an effort to
carry the government further from the
people, popular government has always
won. Take the demand for the election of
senators by the people; upon what does
1t rest? Upon the belief that the people
have the right to and the capacity for
self-government This reform is sure
to come, because the people believe in
self-government, and they will in time
insist upon making the government con-
form to their belief
The initiative and referendum involve
the same principles. The initiative de-
scribes the process by which the people
compel the submission of a question upon
which they desire to vote, and the ref
erendum describes the process by which
they act upon question submitted. In
each new charter the power of the peo-
Pie 10 iHNitdseu' Limitations are placed
upon legislative power and new oues-
tions are submitted to a popular vote. 1t
is now necessary almost everywhere to
submit to the people of city the oues-
tion of issuing bonds. The movement in
favor of submitting franchises also is an
irresistible one, and the time will come
when 1t will be impossible for council
men to sell franchises in return for
money paid to themselves,
The people have right to have trusts
IL they want them. They have a right
to have one trust. hundred trusts or n
thousand, and they also have right to
kill every private monopoly.
If the people have right to have what
they want. then the duty of the party is
plain. 1t Is TO present to the people a
code of principles and policies to be act
ed upon by them. Who can defend the
practicing of deception upon the voters?
Who can justify the winning OF a vic
tory by false pretense7 Who can excuse
a fraud upon the people. No one can
defend a party ideal that does net re-