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JULY 1, lilt.
5
If the People MttZe Why Don't
They Get What They Want?
TRY YOUB HAND AT THIS
In his great speech delivered in the United
States senate Senator Owen of Oklahoma aBked,
"If the people really rule why don't the people
got what they want?"
The Commoner will be glad to print brief an
swers to this question.
Make your answer brief and to the point.
This question Is in reality the most important
question that may be considered by the American
people. Plainly something is wrong with the
American government; plainly the people do not
get what they want although they are presumed
to rule. What is the matter? The Commoner
readers have the opportunity of contributing to
the solution of this problem. (Prom The Com
moner of June 17.)
Charles E. Topping, Union Printers Home,
Colorado Springs, Colo. As an old Abe Lincoln
republican, but now an independent voter, I
will answer the question in this way: The peo
ple do not rule. The supreme court and the
United States senate are the ruling power In
the United States today, neither of which Is
elected by the people. They rule the country
for the benefit of the big monied interests and
not for the people. A government the people,
by the people, for the people has become a fic
tion. It is now a government by the big monied
interests for the big monied interests, and there
is no relief for this condition in either the re
publican or democratic parties as they are
formed today. The eastern ring of the demo
cratic party Is just as strong in favor of the
monied interests as the republican party. As
the old colored man expressed it when his pas
tor said "There are two roads; one leads to hell
and the other to damnation." "In that case I
takes fru de woods." There is need of a new
party if we would remedy present conditions in
this country, or a rejuvenation of one of the
old parties.
Ernest, L. Morrow,uKirksville, Mo. My opin
ion Is: The people of the United States really
rule, but do not get what they, want because
they keep a party in power who proves false to
their pledges and force laws on the people which
they do not want.
Jay A. Ferguron, Chicago, 111. First, Because
the election of and the influence upon United
States senators are too far removed from the
people. Second Because lobbying in any style is
permitted; there should be some legal and busi
ness method of presenting the views of all inter
ests concerned. Third, Because legislators are, by
law, equally guilty when bribed as the one who
gives the bribe. Legislators should be free to
talk, to bubble over or blow off, when they feel
like it, without restraint or fear of the law. For
the protection of the people and the punishment
of the bribe giver, there should be no law to
punish one for the taking of money. This double
punishment of both is only .a mighty breast
work for the protection of the bribe giver. Al
low the giver to account to the law, and the
taker to account to his constituency, and the
grand jury with only the fear of perjury in
him. Fourth, Heraove the statute of limitation
on the crime.
A. J; Shively, St. Louis, Mo. The reason the
people don't get what they want is because
they cater to the music of the selfish, dishonest
politicians that have no other object but to get
their fingers into the people's pockets. No prin
ciple whatever.
D. D. Shirley, Allerton, Iowa. I answer thus:
The people of the United States have just such
political conditions as they want. Were this
not the case they would change the conditions.
A vicious monarch might and often has vilely
ruled a good people. A benign king has ruled
a bad set of subjects to their everlasting good.
In the American republic, in which we live,
every voting citizen is a sovereign. If we do
not have conditions as we desire them, we our
selves are to blame. If the American people
are big enough fools to put saddles on their own
backs, -put spurs on the big bugs, and like a
set of donkeys, invite them to get on and ride,
we'll "be ridden to a fall," and don't you forget
it. No people or person ever looked around for
someone to ride them but what found the rider.
We can have all of this kind of thing wo want,
The Commoner.
and can stop it when we think we have had
enough. I say to the Aldriches and the Can
nons, "Lay on, McDuff and bo ho who
cries, hold, enough," etc. No, Mr. Owen, the
Yankee is dead easy, ho's tho easiest thing go
ing. He is certainly a patient ass.
E. O. Gardner, Villisca, la. Horo is tho an
swer to Senator Owen's question: The peoplo
do not get what they want becauso tho peoplo
do not rule. 'Tis true, 'tis pity, 'tis pity 'tis true.
John M. O'Brien, Muscatine, la. Tho peoplo
can not expect what they want. They frequent
ly permit a clique to control their primaries,
shape the policy and nominate tho candidates.
This clique Is frequently led by the editor of a
new paper, which is titled a democratic paper.
The reason the people do not got what they
want, is they lack vigilance. They permit the
minority to control elections; a large majority
of tho voters never vote men do not vote ex
cept they deliberate in the pimaries or caucus.
The democrats should organize democratic clubs
In each county whero there are no , democratic
papers.
William Dunham, Mitcholl; Neb. The people
who are so faithfully represented in our nation's
councils do get what, and all they want, but,
unfortunately the majority voice and vote aro
solely utterance and acts of "the special inter
ests." The people's wants are answered in that
great body by fraud and deceit ever. I, ps a
lover of honesty of purpose and act, blushlngly
but very respectfully submit this and deploro
the fact that "it is true."
J. B. Brinley, Fort Smith, Ark. My answer
Is that money rules; if the power of money can
not be broken, tho people never will rule. Tho
first step to this would be for the government
to loan the money direct to the people and stop
paying Interest.
William E. Rutledge, East St. Lquis, 111. ,
The people don't rule. Money rules; not tho
masses. Money is king. No inducement on earth
for a member of congress to vote against' the
will of the people unless tho saloon and money
power furnish the inducement. Almost univer
sal graft is the answer to Senator Owen's ques
tion, "If the people rule why don't they get
what them want?" Protection is the father of
graft. A kind Heavenly Father may help us
out by revealing to us the art of flying through
the air. Air and our boys and girls are about
the only things left that has not been protected
by a wall so high that the profits to the few
are measured only by the amount the masses
have to pay. If our girls and boys were pig
iron we could have them protected.
J. E. Forbes, Ottawa, Kan. Because if he
bears their party label, the aforesaid people ' ave
np more sense than to vote for a slippery, un
scrupulous scoundrel, utterly without principles
of any kind, political or moral, with no regard
for platforms or pledges, in preference to voting
for a man of the highest character on an op
posing ticket, but who believes a tariff should
be a little higher or lower than exactly meeti
their views. The number of yellow dog parti
sans is steadily decreasing, but we can not se
cure good government until this unwholesome
partisanship is still farther abated. When the
boss politicians see that bad nominations mean
certain defeat, they will give us a better class
of candidates. When the representative of
Postmaster General Hitchcock was trying to
get the republican members of the Oregon legis
lature to disregard their solemn written pledges
to the people to vote for the candidate for sen
ator having the most votes in the primary, there
were two deterrents to acceding to his wishes.
First, their own consciences; second, the krowl
edge that if they thus betrayed their constitu
ents those constituents would promptly throw
over their heads the lariat of the recall, and
jerk them out of their seats in notorious dis
grace. The influence of the recall is so whole
some that no state or city should be without it.
R. E. French, Bridge Contractor, Emporia,
Kan. "Bridge system" has its organization to
corrupt legislatures (note the recent Investiga
tion at Albany) and to elect tho right kind of
city, county and township officials, from their
view point, so that they can have one or more
officials that are their secret agents on each
board that awards contracts. If the people
would Interview prospective candidates for pub
lic office who have the awarding of contracts
and would work only for such men as declare
themselves as opposed to tho "system" and in
favor of a squaro deal, in two or thrco years tho
counties, cities and statos of this our bolovcd
land would bo freed from tho blighting influ
ence of "bridge system." Tho above is submitted
In answor to Tho Commonor's artlclo in issuo of
Juno 17, 1910, "Try Your Hand at This," and
while it is not very well written, in my opinion,
the remedy applied to not only candidates for
county, township and city offices, but to mombers
of the legislature would loosen the grip of
"bridge system" and bring about a condition
.where the independent could live. As it f
today there is only a vory delicato frlngo of
light to tho cloud that hangs ovor tho head of
every actual independent in tho bridge business
In overy state in this nation. Tho writor was
roccntly talking with a local agent of tho Stand
ard Bridge company in a Missouri locality that
is Standard territory, and he said: "Why,
Standard and Western Bridge & Construction
Co. own Nobraska," and he told tho truth. Of
course there aro other firms thore, but if you
will tako tho troublo to find out you will fir.J,
that those two companies, both members of tho
American. Bridge Builders' Association, or
"bridge Bystom," as I call It, do the bridge work
in probably three-fourths of tho counties in your
state and decide who shall have the work in
noarly all tho other counties. Riding on a train
a short time ago with a grizzled veteran of
"bridge system" for a seat mate he said:
"French, you will never be able to get a contract
in this territory at a public letting at a profit;
they won't let you." "Thoy" (bridge system)
own legislatures. "They" (bridge system)
mlsslonors, township trusteos and county en
gineers and "they" have an organization that
controls every state and county In tho United
States. This same man said a fow minutes later:
"French, you can't succeed along tho lines you
are working. Officials want things as thoy aro
at present." If I had tho pen and brains of an
Ida Tarbell I could write volumes on my actual
experiences with "bridge system" that would
rival her history of Standard Oil.
E. W, Owen3, Wagner, S. D. First tho daily
press of the nation is the main factor in' creating
public opinion On tho political issues of the day
and therefore that party which has the greatest
number of newspapers with tho most subscrib
ers will generally win out, because a largo ma
jority of tho voters aro either unphilosophlcal
or not so deeply interested in politics as to givo
such questions thorough consideration and tako
for granted that what they read honestly sets
forth the truth. Second, tho voters have no
direct ballot system of instructions for making
their wants known, either at tho primaries or
at the elections; it is therefore self evident that
beforo the people can rule in reality and have
their principles engrafted into tho laws they
must have legislative questions printed on their
ballots to be voted yes or no the same as wo
now vote on constitutional amendments. This
system when generally adopted by the political
parties of the country would give the voters
the necessary machinery for making their wants
known and we havo every reason to believe
that it would ultimately result in the establish
ment of a truly representative government, but
before wo can get reform wo must establish,
maintain and patronize a reform press and place
it in the homes of the common peoplo to bo
read at their firesides and which will serve as
an inspiration at all times and under all cir
cumstances. Perhaps your readers will ask how
this is to be accomplished. My answer is by
thorough organization. Let us have a great
daily paper In New York, Chicago, Minneapolis
and all tho other leading cities of the nation,
where wo have none already to preach tho true
"gospel of reform," and then appoint committees
In every county and voting jirecinct in the coun
try to solicit subscribers for them, not for gain
or ,profit as tho object, but to save the country
in tho Interest of the toiling millions, then wo
will be on the sure road to reform and whether
it comes sooner or later, when it does como IC
will be thorough and complete and come to
stay.
M. M. Downey, La Crosse, Wis. It Is not
much wonder that the people do not get what
they want while tho "shut up" policy of tho
Taft administration is kept in force by tho
hqads of our government and which has been
part of their education ever since I became an
adopted citizen by wielding the bloody shirt, the
full dinner pail and the system of intimidation
forced on the peoplo at the time of the first
battle (1896) and the two succeeding presiden
tial elections.
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