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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 38
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The Commoner.
ISSUED WEEKLY
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. (j)
If the People Mule Why Don
They Get What They Want?
n9t j
nt?
In his great speech, delivered in the United
States senate, Senator Owen of Oklahoma asked,
"If tho people really rule why don't the people
get what thoy want?"
Tho Commoner has recoived many replies to
this question and some of theso are hereinafter
printed:
Robert Lavington, Perry, Okla. I think "the
people get what they want, all but about 96 per
cent, I Bhould judge; anyway the brainy fellows
can figure along these lines to suit themselves.
At this date hero it takes one bushel and a
peck of wheat to buy two dozen good lemons
( Of course "they" get what "we" want.
Jim Williams, Burton, Ky. No, they don't
rule and never have since the time of organiza
tion. Tho money power has always ruled. Even
for freedom, men liko Morris", the man that so
largely financed the revolutionary war, arrang
ing to beat the laborlnc classes and ormtrmaa
favored the schemes. "What fools wo mortals
I
be!"
J. H. Allison, Blue Lick, Mo. The peoplo do
not rule and the reason they do not get what
they want is that Senator Owen and Senator
vAldrich, Joe Cannon and every representative
in the houses of congress believe in private own
ership of public utilities and so do a majority of
'tho newspapers, not omitting The Commoner
.from the list. I notice a short article in tho
Appeal to Reason which reads this way: "The
(Alaskan telegraph systems are owned by tho
United States government and as a consequence
'the rates are only one-fourth those charged in
the states, and a still further reduction is being
planned. This is what it means to have the
government serve the peoplo service at cost."
Now if a government operated by men who do
not believe in public ownership can make so
good a showing as that what could she do if
operated by peoplo who do believo in public
ownership of all public utilities. And I finally
believe unless tho people take over theso public
utilities Senator Owen's question will bo left
unanswered until doom's day.
F. W. Moore, Brooklyn, N. Y. As I have
written a book to prove that the people always
rule, it is with special satisfaction that I noto
your symposium. Tho peoplo rule through pub
lic opinion, habit and custom, and would obtain
what they want that is, good wages, cheaper
rents and better conditions generally if they
had a clearer understanding of government in
its relation to themselves. To mention but
one habit or custom, that of voting for party
right or wrong this is sufficient of itself to
maintain political corruption. People are be
coming more enlightened; they demand moro
information along the lines your paper upholds,
the initiative, referendum and recall as well as
other reforms which would tend to give them
what they want. As a nation we are swiftly
progressing toward greater intelligence, which
will demand a better class of men as representa
tives and effective laws to protect tho interests
of tho common people. We are entering upon a
peaceful revolution, in which wealth will grad
ually lose its hold upon politics, and, instead of
legislation favoring millionaires, a wiser and
moro permanent policy shall prevail favoring
tho common good of tho masses. Thus will the
intelligence of the people rule intelligently.
Charles Porter, Grinnell, Iowa. "Why don't
the people get what they want?" Apparently
they do. The people voted for high cost of liv
ing, thoy aro getting it; they voted for "protec
tion," aro they not getting it? They voted for
Cannonism, Aldrichism; who can say they are
not in receipt thereof? The people are getting
exactly what they want, as shown by tho elec
tion returns of 1908. Iowa is probably the
worst tariff ridden state in the union a farm
ing state, tho inhabitants of which by their very
situation and occupation, precluded from re
ceiving any of the tariff graft, and yet the farm
ers aro insanely of tho belief that a reduction
in tariff duties would bankrupt the state and
reduce every farmer to starvation. The Lacey's,
Hepburns, Hulls, etc., tell them that a twenty
five cent tariff on wheat, the tariff on farm pro
ducts generally is all that stands between them
and dire poverty. Therefore they "vote 'er
straight." The Iowa republican is getting ex
actly what ho voted for. "Ignorance led by ras
cality," is tho trouble. Educate the ignorant,
and turn tho rascals out, will restore the country
to the conditions existing between 1850 and
18G0.
B. S. Paddock, Manzanola, Colo. Tho people
do rule. "The peoplo get what they want. They
trade at a store because the proprietor tells
them ho is selling to them cheaper than to
other less favored customers. They go to
the church that gives them the greatest social
recognition, irrespective of the virtues of Christ
and other members of the congregation. They
vote for the judgo that will favor them as
against equally fair and honest litigants. They
voto for a county commissioner whom they think
can be "influenced" to work their end of the
road. They vote for a school director that will
appoint teachers favorable to their children.
They vote for a police judge that allows them
to disregard the law. They vote for represent
atives that other employers tell them are most
useful to the corporations that they work for.
And they get 'em all. It will be necessary for
tho people themselves to reform before they
can rofdrm the politicians. Tho principal found
ation back of the present Christian civilization
is the idea expressed by commonly accepted
adage, "Honesty is the best policy." So long
as our civic conscience is satisfied with this,
we are not much better than barbaric and semi
barbaric people with whom our foreign mission
aries find the argument of future punishment
and reward so effective.
Jasper W. Jonos, Monroeville, Ind. The peo
plo do not rule as they did prior to the war of
the rebellion. President Lincoln and the con
gress during the war had to do drastic things
adopt measures and execute same without the
consent of the peoplo. But behind them was
honesty and a motive of good for the whole
people, subsequent administrations instead of
restoring to the government their just rights
went further, little by little, until during the
last few congresses, the people of our great com
monwealth are governed by two men, tho leader
of tho senate (Aldrich), and Speaker Cannon.
Theso two men dictate our laws; no laws pass
either branch without their consent. The state
of Rhode Island is not twice as largo as my
home county (Allen), still one of her senators
practically dominates, rules and governs tho
other forty-five great commonwealths. The
insurgents and democrats made the greatest
mistake of years in failing to depose Speaker
Cannon when the opportunity was within their
grasp. His dethronement would have been a
step in the right direction. Such a course would
have gone a good length in restoring our faith
in our representatives. The mistake has set
the calendar back a decade. The people will
again rule, but a Moses must come to lead tho
way.
E. B. Stebbins, Sturgis, Mich. Too many rep
resentatives of "selfish greed" in both tho repub
lican and democratic parties. While the demo
cratic party is nearer to the people of the two,
it contains too many "high protective tariff"
allies to be successful in administering to the
needs of the people., Nine-tenths of the people
are not satisfied with conditions, but are so
divided they will never unite under the banner
of either of the old parties. The "needs of the
hour" is a new political narty. If 'tis true,
"history repeats itself,", then is not the crisis
that causes new political alignments again near
at hand?
W. H. T. Wakefield, Monroe City, Kan. The
people do not get what they want because of
the surprising length, breadth, thickness and
density of their ignorance of the natural laws
of political economy and of the true election,
system. People in this world must depend upon
their own intelligence and virtue, plus energy
and self-denial for what they get honestly. If
they lack these qualities they must steal or
starve, or at least sweat heroically for Morgan,
Guggenheim & Co. Our system of elections
methods of recording the peoples' will is
antiquated and crude, compelling -voters .to
choose between two evils as to men and, except
In the few referendum states, giving him no
voice whatever in reference to measures. "The
effective ballot," or Harve-Cridge method of vot
ing, gives the people power to get what they
want, destroys the political machine, gives per
fect proportional representation. Henry George
has told them what they should want, but how
few know of his enlightening works. It is easy
to enslave an ignorant person.
James E. Doran, St. Paul, Minn. The people
do not rule, because the representatives elected
do not represent the people. Under the primary
system of election laws only office-seekers secure
the nominations. Under the convention system
professional politicians secure the nominations,
due largely to the indifference of the people as a
whole to their own interests. The result is that
under either system as it works out, the electors
simply choose between self-nominated office
seekers, and do not have a chance to elect a
capable, honest representative of the people. The
remedy lies in the intelligent, conscientious citi
zen doing his full duty in securing representa
tive men as nominees.
John Bray, Darlington. I am a republican.
My first vote' for president was for John T.
Hale, next Fremont, then Lincoln. At the last
election I was puzzled to decide whether to
vote for Taft or Bryan, but voted for Taft. I
am an admirer of W. J. Bryan. His influence
for good has been and is great. I take The
Commoner, and am interested in the question,
"If the people rule why don't they get what
they want?" Would answer, wants are usually
obtained by right action; the reason why the
people do not fully rule and do not get what
they want is because they do not obey the golden
rule, "Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you." When the people actually obey
this rule they will get what they want, for they
will want good will, peace, and brotherhood
based on righteousness; they will not take or
want wealth, position or power obtained by un
righteousness. All past history proves that just
as fast and as far as this rule has controlled
human life, man has ceased to wrong or op
press his fellowman. Just as certain as two
and two make four, just so certain is it that
human happiness and welfare in the future de
pends on obedience to the golden rule. It ia
encouraging to know that tho growing intelli-