Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-09-29


representatives in congress had they
voted otherwise. They were not elect
ed upon that issue and certainly had
the undisputed right to vote as they
believed best. The same is true OF
woman suffrage. At a special election
the voters of Iowa recorded a majority
of 10000 against universal suffrage
but nobody thought of questioning the
right of the members of the Iowa
legislature in ratifying the suffrage
amendment.
When w. l.. Harding was the candi-
date for governor and was being assail-
ed for having voted in the legislature
in sympathy with the liquor traffic he
was severely denounced by the Regis
ter. Yet he was acting in the legis-
lature in accordance with the views of
his constituency and was elected when
that issue was more or less prominent
in the campaign.
Hence, it all depends upon the view
point and prevailing conditions wheth-
er representative should follow his
own judgment or that of the people
whom he represents. Public opinion
is tickle and often wrong and the repre-
sentative in congress who undertakes
to trim his sails according to what
appears to be popular judgment soon
loses his prestige among the people
The public as Il rule. admires man
who has the courage of his convictions
and who will stand boldly for the
things in which he believes regardless
of the number of votes such a stand
will cost him.
81 1t will be remembered that when the
.war was on in Europe. leading men in
this country were hesitating about TAX
ing sides. Many Of them were count
ing the German vote here. There was
just one. big outstanding leader in the
entire nation who dared. when a Ger
man submarine sank the Lusitania. to
take righteous stand. One clarion
voice rang out from Oyster Bay to the
effect that this government ought to
send the German ambassador home
with the information that we wanted
no more to do with his piratical nation.
Theodore Roosevelt was .everlastingly
right, but he was roundly denounced
by such papers as the Des MoineS Reg
lister and accused of being il lingo and
a fre-eater. There was one man who
always had the courage of his convic:
lions. and whose convictions were i'll
variably right. He didn't wait for
public opinion to form and then follow
never failed to express them, regard
less of what anybody else thought
And today the memory and example of
Roosevelt stand out as beacon light
for real leaders to follow. and his
cOuntrymen are coming 10 realize that
the greatest American of his day and
generation passed when he was called
to his final reward.
However. suppose we accept the view
of the Register correspondent that our
representatives in congress should have
no opinions of their own but should
watch the weather vane of changing
public judgment and guage their ac-
tons thereby. There is no assurance
that the people of Iowa are for the
league and treaty without any changes
The tremendous receptions given the
opposition senators in Des MOines and
Fort Dodge indicate that at least there
is a division of sentiment among the
people of Iowa upon these issues.
For itself the Frceman-J ournal be-
lievcs that the representative who fol
lows his best Judgment and listens to
the dictates Of his own conscience in
matters where principle is involved is
u safer representative than the one
who Is carefully watching the changing
course of public opinion and tries 10
always be on the popular side of all
questions