Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-04-11
In smashing musty precedents, by go.

came from the senate, the American
house Of lords, and the spokesman OF
the opposition in that body was John
Sharpe williams, of Mississippi, who
said in part: ."- -T.. ~ .-...
, Mr.. President, I for one very much
regret that the president has chosen TO
take this course. OF course, whether
this course should be pursued or not, 1t
is not going materially to affect the
legislative interests of the American
people. But the old Federalist customs IN
imitation of the English custom Of max
ing speeches from the throne when
it was once disused, fell by unanimous
consent into subsequent constant dis
use and ridicule; and 1t did 1t because
the common sense underlying the
method of sending written communi-
cation to congress was obvious and
plain to everybody, and because OF the
fact that It was so much more In ac-
cord with American republican institu-
tions than the old observance, with its
pomposities and It's caval- -cading, had
been. It was not without reason. there
fore, that Mr. Jefferson's example was
subsequently initiated by every presi-
dent, whether Democrat, Whig. Repub-
lican, or what-not. I for one hope that
this will be the only instance of the
breach of the perfectly simple and per-
fectly republican method which he In
troduced." ..... ..... .-.
That Mr.. williams Is a. statesman OF
very rare ability we do not deny. AS
matter of fact we have for years con-
sidered him one Of the brightest and
ablest men of either party in congress,
and although we think he has made
! bad break, very serious mistake. we
are not very much surprised. r
While our government Is q represen-
tative one-a government through del
egated power, and theoretically true
government of the people-the expert
ence of the past 1877 years has shown
the exceedingly common tendency on
the part of duly elected representatives
to drift into the usurpation Of authori-
ty on their own account. 1t is COM
mon thing to see men who humbly
plead to be selected as mere represen-
tatives, to, as soon as they become ac-
customed to their new surroundings,
begin persuading themselves that they
are the bosses, the masters of the peo-
pie, instead of the servants.
Now it seems to us that our friend
John Sharpe should be able to remem-
Der that Woodrow Wilson, as president
oil the United States, is not to be COM
pared to the occupant Of the British
throne, or Of any other throne. Kings,
some with more emphasis than others;
but all of them, claim their position by
Divine right 1t Is buncombe, but, still
they seem to believe it. Woodrow Will
son claims his position only through
the choice Of the American people, and
acknowledges responsibility only to
God and to them. He is not figure
head, not puppet, but real repre-
sentative, with mission to perform
and he knows it. He not only knows
that he has a mission, but he knows
that he is what he is by reason Of that
mission, and that mission can be dele
gated to no other mortal man.
AS to Mr., Williams and his kind,
they have heretofore been pulling the
strings and making the party (not
the people) elected occupant Of the
White House, dance to their music.
The process has been delightfully."-
pleasing not only to Mr.. Williams, but
to others of his kind, during many gen
erations that have gone before. There
fore the evidences that President Wilson
has given of his intention to dance to
his own music or rather to the music
that the American people have pre-
scribed for him, are naturally disquiet-
ing to men like Mr.. Williams, who see
a new order of things ahead. r
Mr.. Taft is a good man Of high ideals.
He was elected on a platform of tariff
revision. The whole country under
stood the word revision to be synony-
nous with reduction. Mr.. Taft so un-
derstood. But when the bosses-the
bosses Of the people-took hold, they
interpreted the platform pledge to
mean that the tariff should be revised
Upward. Anyway that was what they
"a. Mr.. Taft was outraged and let the
fact be known; but the Payne-Aldrich
crowd put on the party screws and la
ter in a public speech Mr.. Taft declar-
ed that the new law was the best that
had ever been written.
AS we see it Mr.. Wilson does not
propose to be bossed by few con-
gressmen or be manipulated by few
special interests through congressman.
He is going to be loyal to Democracy
and to the people; but he is not going
to allow the men who hold the whip
over the party organization to make
him do their will at the expense of the
righteous hopes and aspirations of the
American people.
At the time of Mr.. Wilson's election
as governor, New Jersey was the worst
scalawag ridden state in the union. The
political bosses Of all kinds had hon.
esty, decency, justice and right by the
throat, and to them Mr.. Wilson's cam
paign promises were only joke. They
would listen and wink. They had no
idea in the first place that Mr.. Wilson
II
meant what he said, and still less idea
that he could interfere with their de-
sires, even if he wanted to. They call
ed him the school teacher, the Sunday
school statesman, the impractical Vi
sionary who would be easier to handle
than one of their own kind. But what
he did during his short tenure in clean
ing out the Augean stables of political
corruption in New Jersey is a matter
Of record.
In New Jersey, when the politicians
sought to block Mr.. Wilson's pro-
gramme, he took the matter direct TO
the people. They believed him, and
did what he said. The corrupt politi-
clans were made to stand from under.
Some were kicked out of office, and
others smart enough to see what they
were up against, decided to drop IN
line and be good.
Mr.. Wilson did not try to boss New
Jersey, and he is not going to try to
boss the people Of the United States.
He knew that the people of New Jer-
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