The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-06-09
The Attack On Security ;.

rights are the cleareSt, the most out
spoken, and the most eloquent to
be found anywhere. In clear language
he places human rights above prop
erty rights, above special privilege
and even above institutions of gov
eminent. In the preamble to the Dec
laration of Independence he said
1--WE hold these truths to be self
evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator w t h certain inalienable
rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happi-
ness.-That to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among
men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed
That whenever any Form of gov
eminent becomes destructive of these
ends, it is the right of the people
to alter or abolish it, and to institute
new government, laying its founda-
ton on such principles, and organic
ing its powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect
their Safety and Happiness.
Those who would believe Jeffer-
son really did not mean what he said
about the peoples right to use the
government for their own benefit and
to alter it at their pleasure should
refer to his letter written to John
Adams, Feb, 1887: "The spirit of re-
;istence to government is so valuable |
IN occasions, that l wish it always to |
% be kept alive . like little re-
)ellion now and them Jefferson's
place in history is secure because he
ruly expressed the aspirations of
he people, because he expressed con-
empt for special privilege, because
e hated the badges and pretensions
f the upper class. Above all, because
e maintained an unshakeable faith
I the common man.
That the people have chosen JEFF
erson as hero, that they have chos-
n his utterances on human rights as
Expressive of what they themselves
-ould have said, if they but had his :
loquence is evidence enough that :
he peoples democracy is not de- :
locracy of the economic royalists.
hese facts alone should be enough
} shame us for wavering before the
rutal attack on our efforts to make
overnment function in behalf of the :
eople by providing better oppor-
lnities for education, for medical :
ervices, for cheap power, for SOC
Il security, and for peace. .
But there is an abundance of other :
whence that to the peoples de- :
ocracy mean rule by the people, :
weren't respect for the sacredness :
human personality, the peoples s
ause. :
Other statesmen, poets, writer's,
Id philosophers have been accepted :
7 the people as their own because
their eloquent, fearless pronounce :
ents on the peoples cause. :
II submit, therefore," said Walt :
hitman in Democratic Vistat, chat :
e function of democracy, on ought :
re grand scale, resides altogether :
the future" :
Mark Twain, in Connecticut Yam :
e, expressed the cause of every :
an in this way, "This ones a man. =
l were backed by enough of this =
TT, I would make a strike for the =
slfare of the country, and try to e
owe myself its loyalist citizen by =
aking a wholesome change in it's g
stem of government - -
Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his Mad =
n Square Garden speech in 1896: =
-bove all other things the Ameri- =
4 people wanted peace. They =
nted peace of mind instead of =
awning fear =. =
They wanted the peace that comes =
m security in their homes: safety =
T their savings, permanence in =
ir jobs, fair profit from their =
erprise. -