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12
The Commoner.
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 8i
cumstances to voto any law enacted
by their representatives; nor do they
havo any peaceful and lawful means
to control tho acts of their repre
sentatives. Aftor his election, a rep
resentative has full power, protected
by law, to betray his constituents,
and to these tho law gives no pro
tection, nor means of redress. Tho
only limitation on tho powor of a
representative, is the constitution, as
this instrument may bo Interpreted
by tho courts. This protection, to
say tho most, is very uncertain, and,
as oxperionco has proved, may bo
used both ways; for instance, tho
income tax decision. Even if It bo
notorious that a law was procured
by fraud and bribery, tho courts are
confined to Inquiring if It is consti
tutional. "Tho motives of tho legis
lature, in parsing a particular meas
ure, can not bo Inquired into, nor
can it bo shown that it was procured
by fraud and bribery." Thero is
nothing to prevent a representative
from betraying his constituents and
nothing to prevent him from deliver
ing tho goods. Tho moro statement
of tho caso should indicate tho rem
edy. Lot a government bo purely
representative, such as tho courts
havo declared ours to bo, and let
tho population bo thin; tho amount
a corporation could offer as a bribo
can nover exceed tho amount that
could bo taken from tho people by
tho corporation and this, in a new,
thinly settled country, necessarily
must bo small. And as in a now
country all natural opportunities are
not privately owned the fear of want
can not be a controlling power in
directing a man's actions. And
whore population is thin, and every
man knows every other man, a
traitor would find it difficult if not
imposslblo to conceal his deed. For
these reasons, the early history of
our government shows that tho great
majority of representatives wore
honest. But lot population increase
so that tho corporation can offer fivo
times as much, ten times, fifty times
as much or more, and tho fear of
want, caused by tho private owner
ship of all natural opportunities, has
becomo a controlling motive of hu
man action, and tho complications of
industry caused by an increased pop
ulation, makes it an easy matter for
a corrupt representative to conceal
his treachery the representative
having full power to deliver the
goods It is unreasonable to expect
that, under these conditions, a ma
jority of representatives will remain
honest. Tho disease being radical, a
euro that is not radical can bo
neither permanent nor effective. This
is why that tho initiative, tho refer
endum and the recall must precede
any other reform, in the caso of the
American republic.
bad lists of every votor in every pre
cinct or voting place in tho state that
could bo bought, and tho sldo that
had the most money got that sale
able vole. This commercial class of
voters should bo disfranchised and
then money would cut no figure in
an election. Righteous and just
men arc not over plenty and what
few thero is are not putting thenv
solves forward for office" and such
are never sought after by the cor
rupt. It is well known you can not
change a man's heart by law, but
through fear even a corrupt man can,
In a measure, bo held right. Wo
would therefore have a law disfran
chising every man that buys or sells
votes for any consideration whatever;
oven a ride to the polls, furnished
by a candidate, would disfranchise
both. Then the initiative and refer
endum and the recall will hold cor
rupt' men of Adam's fallen race as
near right as it Is possible In this
world of sin and corruption.
F. M. Jones, Cintortom, Ark.
Wo havo a republic In name and an
oligarchy in fact. Tho predatory in
terests rule. As a first move for im
provement I would suggest a change
In our federal judiciary. Tho su
premo court nullified tho income tax
law. Adopt the initiative and refer
endum and tho recall. Elect all
judges by popular vote for a term of
yoars and curtail tho powers of tho
judiciary so that it will not be able
to nullify the will of the people.
by accepted platforms and afterwards
ignored. No one is to blame except
the people themselves. By making
oxamples of delinquent legislators,
holding thorn up to tho contempt of
tho public and refusing them coun
tenance in tho future as an example
for others seeking political favors, a
general change would be suro to
appear.
J. B. Brenley, Fort Smith, Ark.
In my answer to Senator Owen in
Tho Commoner of July 1 I am made
to say that money rules, and if tho
power of money can not be broken
tho people never will rule, also that
"Tho first step to this would be for
tho government to loan the money
direct to tho people and stop paying
Interest. It should read "for the
government to Issuo the money direct
to the people and stop paying inter
est." All tho answers yet given can
bo placed to the same cause the
power of money that rules.
B. F. Caldwell, Pueblo, Colo.
Hide-bound partyism Is tho cause.
When public officials aro treated just
as hired men aro, and required to
givo tho same return, then tho day
of Insolent and tyrannical public
officials will bo ended. The reason
tho peoplo do not get what they want
is that they continue to voto to keep
in office the very ones who are work
ing overtime to prevent them from
getting what they want.
Bernhard Jannusch, Wittenberg,
Wis. How can you expect the peo
plo to get what thoy want when they
don't know what they want. They
should get together and have it un
derstood what they want, and then
vote as one. The graduated income
tax should counteract swollen for
tunes, and the Initiative, referendum
and recall is a sure remedy against
corrupt legislation. What Senator
Owen says is God's truth. I like his
speech; God bless him, and also Mr.
Hardy very good men, both of them.
May their light shine so before men
that they may walk in It.
composed of men like Owen, LaFol
lette, Clapp, Cummins, Dolllver, and
men of their stamp, wo will have a
country where all men are equal and
havo an equal chance.
J. E. Barker, Naples, Maine. The
peoplo aro fooled. The peoplo aro
really with Roosevelt, Bryan and La.
Follette, but old party leaders havo
been robbing them of their real free
dom by playing in with the leaders
of tho opposite parties. Thank God
we havo some who are true and in
whom the people have confidence.
M. Phlllipps, Cheney, Wash. I do
not answer It as Roosevelt did in his
London speech "bind the laboring
man a littlo closer." I would say,
give him more freedom. Before tho
people can rule, standpattism or Can
nonism must be destroyed. The
tariff barons must get out of politics.
One mistake Roosevelt made was to
ask for the election of Mr. Taft.
Henry Mileur, Rush Springs, Okla'.
If people aro to have what they
want they must adopt the Initiative
and referendum and recall without
restriction, and when they delegate
the powor they must reserve the
right to accept or reject. They must
also elect every officer, from presi
dent to road overseer.
C. G. Wilcox, DePeer, Wis. Be
cause tho press has been controlled
by the system and the press con
trols the primaries convention to a
largo extent. When the senate is
George C. Giles, Kansas City, Kan.
The answer is very simple. The
peoplo do not rule, but tho special
interests do rule. This condition is
brought about by representatives
who misrepresent for one reason or
another, and by other representatives
who become corrupted by the special
interests. This can and will be rem
edied in time, but every intelligent
voter must work for reform.
LOGICAL
"Mother," asked little Ethel, "now
that you're in mourning for Cousin
Adelaide, will you wear black night
dresses, too?"
"What an absurd question, child!'.'
"Oh, I only thought you might be
as sorry at night as you were during
the day," ventured Ethel. Harper's
Bazar.
S. T. Pidgeon, Jamestown, Ohio.
Government for tho people and by
tho peoplo looks like a forlorn hopo
when we take a careful survey of the
situation. Two great parties are led
by professional politicians, and there
is no principlo with thorn as a rule.
Tho capacity of tho republican party
for yielding gold bricks is unlimitod.
They usod with great solomnlty to
tell us to voto as wo shot. Tho
power of the federal government as
it is now dominated by the Interests
for the deception of tho masses is
sufficient to deceive tho very elect.
W. B. Perrin, Koshkonong,. Mo.
The question was asked, "Do tho peo
plo rule?" Well, I guess nit, tho
money power is in tho saddle now,
spurring tho peoplo front, flank and
rear. Why don't tho people get what
they want? How can they when an
old brass, self-action, double shotted,
smooth bored Cannon sitting on the
fortress of congress, defying any
legislation that will help tho people?
When will the people get tired of
being bitten by a" few old galli-nlppers?
ONE DOLLAR
Pays for a Big Daily Paper
3 Times a Week and The
Commoner Both One Year
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N. Cameron, Lawrence, Kan.
Probably the most important an
swer is because of tho vaBt
number of people who aro cor
rupt at heart and aro for sale.
How could that congressman in Penn
sylvania spend $ 4 0,0 00 to get his
nomination unless it was to buy the
common voter, and tho voter that
sells his vote for money gets what
he wants, and the man that buys
stands a good chance of getting what
ho wants. Tt used to bo in New York
when I lived thero that both parties
George H. Hlggins, El Paso, Texas.
Because thoy are enslaved to a
fetich called party, and the party,
whether democratic or ropublican, is
controlled by interests antagonistic to
tho rule of the people. Let us havo
a' live insurgent democracy and chal
lenge every candidate .for election to
declare his principles; challenge
every representative who is luke
warm and retire every man whose
record does not place him in the
front rank of a militant democracy.
Let every democrat be an insurgent
democrat; then the peoplo will rule
and they will get what they want.
P. N. Hanson, San Anselmo, Calif.
Tho people have the right to rule,
but they- do not rule, simply because
of their lack of Interest to uso that
powor. Instead they are ruled by
proxies whom they oven do not select
themselves, and whom they do not
compel to glvo an account of their
actions as legislators, even if bound
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