The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-07-06
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WEEKLY LETTER
Democracy Or Ant0cracy Which Shall
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Democracy Or AneOcracy Which Shall
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~ The die is cast. The American peo-
pie are not competent to govern
themselves or to select men of suffi-
/ |cient intelligence to sit as members of
Congress. If we permit the selection
of candidates BY the people in the
direct primaries, social democracy will
possess this country. So say high ad-
ministrative authorize Harding,
Weeks, Pershing and Davis and the
aOld Guard Republicans and Demo-
Gratis alike, echo me too. They cry out
Save US from the people who would
put US in the discard and elect men
who are responsive to the needs and
aspirations Of the people" Don't you
see, says the Old Guard" and their
self selected spokesmen of high adj
Ininistrative circles, this would mean
the overthrow of the predatory inter-
ests, the financial, banking, specula-
tive, grating autocracy of this coun-
try who seem to have gotten full con-
troll Of the Government under the pre-
sent and the proceeding administra-
tions. They evidently don't intend to
tolerate further interference with
their sacred and divine rights to rule
while the masses toll that. the z per
cent of our people may continue to-
gather in the little wealth not already
in their hands. 1T is said this per
cent, representing the predatory in
terests, now control more than 68 per
cent of the wealth. of the land.
You, common people, how do you
like itg 1t has been repeatedly limited
that they were going to put the farm
er in his place following the war.
Warburg prepared the bill and Pres.
Harding seems to have been select
ed to put in operation the policy which
will show the farmer where he be-
longs and labor would then be easily
whipped into submissiveness and the
country would be saved frim the for
ward movement of the common people,
for should they once come into power
it might be hard to displace them.
Besides, the common people with their
representatives in the saddle control
Of the Government might shut off our
little graft and we would have to go
to work after few generations,
, How sad! o. Lord, have pity for
these self appointed masters, the
autocratie but invisible rulers of this
great nation, who fear they may come
to want and be called upon IN the no
distant future to associate with the
common naortals mere clay!
Secretary of War Weeks at Western
Reserve University, the Washington
Herald reports, warned of the trend
of our political life toward social
democracy" He protested against the
primary law, the initiative and referen-
dunn, the prevailing system in many
states of the people personally having
the power to select too many officials
for administrative offices. He quoted
the popular complaint in the ineffci-
ency and inability OF the present
Congress. He appealed for a closer
study of the situation by the voters
generally with an eye to modifying or
the primaries and to the
objectionable laws which he said are
resulting in an mexpert consideration
both of persons and measures ultim-.
ately to guide the progress of the
country. saSs u s.ss
I Secretary of Labor Davis sounded a
similar warning and Pershing like
Weeks echoed the ADMINISTRATORS
position against "the impracticability"
of extending the present democratic
control Of representative government
to the details of administration Of the
state and nation. s$ 5.S ~ 2@s!1 .e
The bosses say the Ship Subsidy
Bill must be passed and proceed at
once TO whip members of Congress into
line whether OF not individual menb-
ers approve it. Vote as told or feel
the party whip, the loss Of patronage
control for your state and loss of re-
cognition and be forced to stay at
home at the end of your present term.
The sbosses' want men in Congress
who will follow the leader and vote
as told to by privilege. Primaries
do not permit the bosses" TO Select
this type Of man hence primaries
should BE abolished and the conyen-
tion system adopted where 'tbosses''
can again, as of old, select their leg
iislative and administrative offices 10
do their bidding. Nj
The common people, in my jndg-
ment, will never permit this to be
done. More than that they will soon
demand the right of recall ID all Of
fcials including Judges and If need be
the recall or review Of court decisions.
Both old parties are built on the
same plan, controlled by the same