Evening star., 1921-07-17
BY THOMAS n. MAAbHALL.
Former Vice President OF the United
States,

states.
- ALL 1t arrogance. ambi.
tion. pride-what you Will.
we hold to our convic-
tions. The innate optn-
ion of every man that what he
thinks is right. what he wants
should be done, is = human char
acteristic which results eventually.
unless curoed, in the overthrow Of
government. When the doctrine
that the king can DO no wrong
was announced. kings began to be-
lieve in 1t. and then people who
were not kings began to think
they could do no wrong. The king
proved for . while that he could
do no wrong by cutting OF their
heads; subsequently they tried to
prove that they could do no wrong
by cutting on his head
Democracy 10 In particular dan.
ger when there arise either parties
or leaders who are utterly con-
vtnced OF their own Righteousness
and Of the Righteousness Of only
their cause and purposes: who be.
come convinced that all opponents
are not only mistaken. but In.
herently roguish and actuated By
vicious motives. We prate about
the freedom Of speech and Of the
press in America. but this free.
dom is valueless when constantly
tainted with the suspicion that dis.
senting views are unpatriotic and
undemocratIc.
- -
Among the experiments Of my
oficial life was an effort to obtain
the adoption Of . new constitution
tor the state Of indiana As gov
ernor. succeeded in bringing
about adoption by the general as
sembly, which ordered that 1t be
submitted to the people for their
ratification or rejection. That was
a. Tar as the supreme court, by q
three-to-two opinion, let 1t 60.
In tho proposed constitution was
an inhibition Of suffrage against
those delinquent in the payment
Of their current poll taxes. was
the recipient Of many letters pro-
testing against this provision. 1t
was urged by the writer's OF these
letters that no man who had prop.
erty should be permitted to vote.
that no suffrage should be restrict
ed to those without taxables.
These letters convinced me that in
4 little more than 100 years we
had turned from one extreme and
headed toward another. In our
revolutionary days We opposed
taxation without representation.
In Indiana, demand was made for
representation without taxation.
I have not approved Of the meth
DDS by which many men have
gained wealth. nor Of the legis-
lation which has aided them. On
the other hand. have sometimes
wondered how taxes are to be
paid. how public Improvements
would be made and the govern
ment maintained II there were no
property. It seems to me that
when I. without property. have the
power to make those with proper
ty pave the streets. light the
towns. open up parks. establish
hospitals. school my children. pro.
tect the health Of my family. po-
lice my life, have had quite
a fair share Of the benefits Of my
government. OF course. do not
want to stop there. want my
opportunity to get some wealth
without the government prevent
ing or interfering.
+&* *k
It seems to me that those who
bear the burdens Of government
ought to have 4 fair and respect.
full hearing as to what those bur.
dens shall be. Yet men have
openly criticised President Hard
ing because he dared to listen to
men Of wealth about the welfare
Of our country. For my part I
think he is doing we'll in calling
these men into his councils. It
is a bad sign when any large
number OF men imagine that a
President is to be swerved from
dealing justly with the American
people because he listens to per-
sons representing first one side
and then the other Of = question.
This is plainly his duty. The men
who are objecring to his seeking
the views Of hnanciers ought to
have campaigned against the se.
lection Of DR.. Sawyer on the
ground that he was q physician.
They might properly have held
that the President was apt to have
appendicitis and that q member
Of the plumbers union should Be
appointed White House physician.
40 appendicitis is q pipe disease.
do not pretend to say that the