Evening star., 1922-03-26
Says Voters Should Resent
"Bloc" Plea for Glass Benefit

OF government so compelling in
their character as to make its
members. willing to forego their
special interests In the accomplish
Much fun IL poked at men who
claim to be Jeffersonian demo-
Gratis. Newspapers facetiously and
satirically inquire: What is a JEFF
fersonian democrat?" 1 venture to
answer. not forgetting that Mr..
Jefferson said: Every difference
of opinion is not a difference Of
principle" Theoretically, holders
of conflicting opinions may enter
tain like principles. On this sub
ject. judge no man. I hold. how
ever, that whatever the opinion OF
a man. II he pretends to be a JEFF
fersonian democrat. he must agree
that this Is a union of states and
that ours is q republican form Of
government. A man cannot be
full-hedged Jeffersonian who be-
lieves in the obliteration Of state
tines and in transferring all func-
tions Of government to Washing
from responsibility and banishine
from the domain of politics local
relf-Rovernment. He who reads
jefferson as ! read him. believes
that it Is the duty Of the general
government not to usurp the func-
tions of state government. but to
support the several states in every
right which they retained when
the general government was
= v,A <n f1A no
public sentiment Of communities
lies the surest guaranty against
anti-republican tendencies: that SO
long as local sef-government ex-
lists and is made use of. and SO
long as the states discharge the
duties incumbent upon them. anv
change in our system Is not likely
to occur: but that when the indi-
viduaI citizen loses his sense Of
responsibility and becomes care
less and Indifferent about the dis
charge Of his political duties. and
when the state is willing to cease
to exist as a vital organism and
to transfer all its power to the
general government. then pride,
ambition, greed and lust may be
able to pull down the pillars of
the republic and erect upon it's
ruins an edifice of a different kind.
X X X
If Mr.. Jefferson meant what he
said when he declared that tits
was a government OF. equal and
exact justice to all men Of what
ever state or persuasion. religious
or political. then no man who be-
lieves in Jefferson's principles can
co2sent that laws be passed for
the benefit of the lawyer. doctor,
farmer. butcher, baker or candle
stick maker. If such laws have
been enacted he cannot be content
until they are wiped off the stat
ute books. He must believe that
Legislation is for the American
citizen. stark naked ana stripped
Of every earthly distinction.
A Jeffersonian democrat must
believe in the decisions Of tie ma
jority. In no other way can a de-
mocracy express it's opinion. The
right kind Of a majority will have
a due regard for the rights and
feelings Of the minority. but. right
or wrong, majority must rule.
If it fails to rule for the good of
the whole people. it soon will be-
come a minority.
X X X
Freedom of speech and freedom
of the press are vital to the Jeffer-
sonian. He holds with his patron
saint that If there be any who
would wish to dissolve this union
or change its republican form, let
them stand undisturbed as monu-
ments Of the safety with which
error Of opinion may be tolerated
where reason is left free to COM
bat it. He does not look upon Mr..
Debs as q menace to the republic.
He feels quite sure that he can
outthink and outliye Mr.. Deba He
believes that he can ba SO demo-
cratic as to convince the second
sober thought Of any man that
representative government. ex-
pfssing its powers in coordinate
own realm. is as much q guaranty
Of peace and contentment to the
man without q dollar as 1t Is to
the man with millions
This sort Of democrat believes in
the government as founded by the
fathers; he has as much faith. If
not little bit more. in the old
fashioned Industrious democrat,
who appealed to the law for the
safety of his life and the preser-
walton Of his property. as he has
in the new. Industrial democrat,
who is down on law. except for
himself; on order. except as he
DEGREES it, and on government, un-
loss he be the bigwig.