The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-05
The People. Rule Asserted.

nC SORa( hN01S fAooCA sS9s
"'ShaT the people rule is, the overwhelming
ISSUE" declated Mr.. Bryan's Democratic platform
in 1908. That question appears to have been
answered by part of the people last Tuesday.
The vote was large and with the exception of the
Tammany victory in New York City, there is little
evidence of machine or boss control The people
did it. Even Mr. Bryan will probably admit that
much, while contending that they were misguided.
In Massachusetts, the people rebuked those who
tried to inject religious antagonsms into the cam
paign, by electing governor the man who said
he would rather be defeated than elected by the
votes of those who preached fanaticism and sought
to create srife over the most sacred rights of the
individual citizens. In New York the voters ig-
nored the advice of the metropolitan press and
rejected constitution prepared by the supposedly
Influential leaders of both great political parties.
In all the States where woman suffrage was an
issue the agitation and the strenuous campaign
was pro rather than anti, but the people rejected
the amendment by large majorities. In Ohio Mr..
Bryan, Capt. Hobson and other orators OF ma
tional reputation, swept the State in special
trains preaching prohibition, and their supporters
not only made the most noise, but appeared to
have the organization and the necessary funds ITO
conduct campaign on national scale But the
people voted the other way.
The indications everywhere that the
people went to the polls unshackled by political
or other bosses. They were polite and considerable
of the woman watchers at the polls,> and they
listened to the appeals of the prohibitionists and
other protagonists, but they voted their own way,
apparently conscious of their responsibility as
parts of the people who rule. 1t might be just as
we'll for those who have been so solicitous about
the rule of the people, to study the returns from
all parts of the country where elections have been
held in the last few months and learn that the
people have less fear of the bosses and machines
than have the protagonists who have been railing
against these modern-day political bugaboos. Mr.
Bryan is probably the most popular orator in the
country and he has made more eloquent appeals
to the people to assert their power than any man
living He has ever been deeply solieitous about
the rights of the people, and the people have as
serted their rights by repudiating his claims to
their support in every campaign he has ever made
as candidate for national honors. They may
enjoy his speeches and believe in his sincerity.
but they have exercised the right to think for
themselves and vote as they think and please.
The exhibition of the peoples rule given last
Tuesday, might also suggest to some of the Sena-
tors and Representatives in Congress that their
distrust of the people in the District of Columbia
is no more warranted than would be their dstrust
of the people who elect them. The people Of the
District had opportunity to express their senti-
ments last Tuesday but they just the same
kind of people as those who went to the polls in
other parts of the country, and they are just as
capable of managing their purely domestic affairs.
lust because they not allowed representation
in Congress is no American reason why they
should be kept in leading strings and treated like
tots in kindergarten the inmates of St. Eliza
beth. 1t Is little presumptuous for Senators and
Representatives from the Pacific Coast the
Mexican border to formulate at home a rigid rule
for the District and at the time talk about
the rule of the people. Why not drop the mask
of egotism and admit that the people do rule, and
that those who rule at the ballot box would make
short shift of their representatives they under
took to enforce upon them some of the foolish
laws they try to enact for the District.
The affairs of the District bid fair to receive
much attention at the next session of Congress
and we hope that some of our cocksure states
men, who always know just what the people ought
to have regardless of their judgment and
ability to take care of themselves, will study the
election returns and begin to see that the para
mount hope of Mr.. Bryan in 1908 is about to be
realized, and that the people and not the protago
nists do rule.