Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-24
WHY THEY DIsTRUsT THE PEOPLES ABILITIES

From certain frequently come expressions of
contempt for popular government general lack OF
dence in the ability of the people whole and
at suggestions Of greater power for the masses.
This feeling, which is genuine one on the part of
these people, is easily accounted for Generally they
from persons and agencies engaged in enterprises in
munes where falls to their lot either to serve the com
munty whole or to serve only favored portion OF IT,
and whenever such opportunities arise they have nvar
aby chosen to support the selected interest and oppose
the community welfare.
Every community furnish examples Of this sort OF
choice Now the very fact that the people continue to
support and make prosperous such agencies, is accepted
by such agencies conclusive proof Of the inability OF the
people to determine what is best for them.
'How could the people give us support and make us
prosperous if they really capable Of determining the
best for themselves they argue when is clear that
what advocate is not for the community good but for
the community harm and for the good Of those only with
whom stand?'
The mistake such agencies make is in msjudging the
community What they accept incapacity to determine
what good and what is bad for the whole people,
y example of the long suffering and the patience of the
people The masses honest Every honest man will
endure much imposition before rebellng and the people,
therefore, endure much imposition preferrng to bear
much wrong perpetrated upon themselves to running the
risk OF perpetratlng wrong upon others.
1t is the generosity the patience and the extreme
tonay desire the part Of the whole people to be right
and not their ncapacy for knowing what is best for the
public good that causes them to endure their enemies who
work against them in secret and who seek to make pr
vate gain at the expense of the public.
The methods adopted by the special interest to
accomplish their purposes often amusing to the public
Possessing class consciousness Themselves they preach
against class consciousness They start out with the
sumption that they the thinking people,, the leap
able people, the people best fitted for governing the
"consevators Of the peoples welfare and the like.
sunless prosper after the manner of our demands
there be prosperity for YOU they think believe
and sometimes, openly advocate. You as children
an irresponsible, unorganzed, unthinkng mass" they
argue and 1T folly for you to think of making demands;
II you do You will kill business, which is us-he capable
class, the ruling cassand you will have to suffer-
Thus arguing, and thus building up and advocating a
class of their they the oudest howlers against
"class legislation, scass prejudice and the like.
They have succeeded often in fooing the people, in
causing the people to give them aid and in bringing to
them great prosperity while the people themselves
suffered that they have very naturally acquired con-
tempt for the people and their ability to rule themselves
or to know what is best for them Sometimes they are
driven to do their work secretly by suherfuge false pre-
tense and by nsnuang methods That is when they be-
come frightened and seek to caoe honeyfogle the peo-
pie. When there is such danger they out boldly
and openly challenge the capacity of the people for self
government.
30 long as the community gives support to this class of
teaches upon local society whose existence is maintained
solely for the purpose of bleeding the public Likelihood into
the veins of special privilege just long may the people
expect to be unnecessarily burdened first in direction
and then in another always burdened but seldom bur-
dened twice in exactly the same manner.
SHOULD REJECT COLOMBIAN TREATY