New-York tribune., 1918-04-10

Mountain News" of the 14!h
of January, 1912, full-page signed ed;
torial by George Crecl, as follows
"The Socialists, single takers nonparti-
sans and commissioned government men
are to us Caleb and Joshua, bearing
the grapes gathered in Canaan, were to
the waiting Israelitcs, only with us it re-
mains to be seen whether the grapes arc
sweet sour.
The law winks complacently or else
groans impotently at the crimes Of those
in high places; it does not punish or
prevent the offences of those with politi-
cal power whose crimes are against the
property of the people, or Of others whose
rapacity results in the accumulation of
vast profits.
"lnstead of standing before the world
as a triumphant democracy. in which one
man is not favored before his brother.
America is now regarded as nation of
commercial 'sharks,' willing to dcvour one
another if other game is not at hand
Money is now the standard, no mat
ter how acquired, whether by dishonesty
or cruelty or q clever combination Of both.
Morality is now of small account ard
intellectual endeavor is so little a
paying proposition that only fool Will
work at it."
We are in a war at this time, SO we
are told, to make the world safe for dc
mocracy. What kind Of democracy? The
democracy that we enjoyed at the begin
ming of this contest; not the kind of
democracy that George Creel describes,
because denounce that as foul SANDER
upon the United States at the time it
was written by George Creel, whatever
purpose may have animated him when he
penned it,
Mr.. President, | want to give you Mr..
Creel's opinion of the Supreme Court of
the United States, as set forth in full
page editorial published in "The Rocky
Mountain News" on October 20, 1911, en-
titled "What the Fathers Did to U.s.:
eve are asked to believe that the Con-
stitution of the United States is the su-
preme wisdom of statesmanship that 1t
is a democratic documcnt that the 're-
vered fathers were actuated by no other
motives than love for and trust in the
people; and that to attempt to change
this holy work is to lay sacrilcgious hands
upon the very palladium of American lib
critics.
"This is the talk of knaves and fools
the one class using patriotic supersti-
tons Tor the purpose of continuing profit
able evils-the other class awed by tradi
tons that it accepts without questioning.
bot all
cuation and general credence is due to an
amazing ignorance Of the manner in which
the Constitution was framed, the circum-
stances surrounding it and the actual
spirit that inspired it, Not so amazing
either when it is considered that the
whole proceedings were secret, and that
succeeding text and law books deal only
with the Constitutions outward form.
AS matter of fact, the Constitution
was framed by rich men for the protec-
tlon of their propcrty-by arstocrats for
the preservation of aristocratic privileges.
Those who sat behind locked doors guard
ing against the slightest popular knowl-
edge of their deliberations feared and
despised the masses. AS Professor J. Allen
Smith has written, Democracy govern
ment by the people directly respon-
sibe to themwas not the object which
the trainers OF the Constitution had in
view but the very thing which thew
wished to avoid. The efforts of the Con-
stitutional Convention were directed to
the task Of devising Il system of govern
ment which was Just popular enough not
to excite general opposition, and whic,
at the same time gave to the people as
little as possible of the substance of
political power
"1he idea that they looked ahead and
planned for the problem of this day and
age is buncombe. along with all the grave
humble about democracy.
''They were concerned with their own
day, their own problems; and it is only
because they manufactured an air-tght
bomb-proof document impossible of
amendment, that are now trying to
run nation along colonial lines.
1T has been common said the La 70