Constitution or Theory, — Which?
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who is? If so, how are we to tell which many of them," — lies a fear and dread of one? There may be a number of minorities the people. They are " the populace," but only one majority. Mr. Dean does not "the great unwashed," "ignorant, irrespon express his choice. If the words " consent sible, cruel, arbitrary." Many will shrink of the governed " do not mean a majority of from this plain statement of their real feel ings, who would accept the fact when glossed the governed — which is what direct legis over with fine, swelling words. Some will lation obtains — but of the minority of the governed as well, then the pickpocket will accept it even when plainly stated. With have to consent to the law by which he is such there is no argument save to urge imprisoned, and the murderer to the law them to go down amongst the people — the which hangs him before such can be the law plain people of every day, live amongst punishing either. This is a reduetio ad them, and know them. You will find reser absurdnm. There is only one way out of voirs of patient endurance, loving brotherly the dilemma; we will be governed by the kindness, righteousness and justice which, dead hand — the institution which our when tapped for political purposes by fathers founded shall govern us without means of direct legislation, will result in the change; because if change is allowed, who purification of our now foul body politic. is to decide what, and how far it shall go? Until you have done this, do not flout the Is a majority of the people of our present great common people. time to decide this? And this derision of the common people is If so, the whole case is given away. No becoming more systematic, more sustained, one reveres more than I the political wisdom more general among the so-called upper of the fathers of our country. "There were classes. For this reason I gave at the giants in those days." And because they beginning of this article the testimony of were giants, they did not believe in this three men who have been fighting for muni changelcssness; they provided a way by cipal righteousness. They speak of our cul which a majority of the governed could tured, our educated, our wealthy classes. Our change the fundamental law of the land. degradation has come from above, not below. While revering their far-sighted sagacity Our wealthy citizens are our bribers, our and nobility of purpose, I deny that they corrupters, our anarchists — not anarchists knew better than we what is good for us. of the red hand 'of violence, but of the foul Not all of them Conditions, times and problems have black hand of rottenness. changed. Many of our modern questions are this, thank heaven; many of them pass would be strange, alien, incomprehensible by indifferent, like the priest and the Levite, to them. They would have been the first on the other side of the way. But the to reject such domination. If they had not, active corrupters of our political life do not our Puritan and Cavalier ancestors would belong to the lower classes. never have emigrated to this country, and The mass of the people are right. But our Colonial ancestors would never have should they ever become corrupted, should rebelled against King George. We should our civilization sink into the slime of its cease to progress, and sink to a Chinese own rottenness, it will be a rottenness deadness. Whoever accepts government spreading from above downward, from the by the dead hand rejects self-government. wealthy and educated to the ignorant and Under this mistiness as to the real source poor. But should our country and our of authority in this country, the people, the civilization rise, as I think they will — out real common people, of whom Lincoln said, of the mire of partisan politics into the lofty "God must have loved them, he made so tableland of brotherhood and hope, it will
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