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Show WAFT'S DISTRUST OF THE PEOPLE. Henvy J. Allen, who spoko at Chautauqua, addressed a Progressive Pro-gressive meeting in Salt Lake City. lie replied to Taft's statement that fne people are not wholly fitted for popular government, and the reply is so unanswerable that any one who reads it must admit that Taft committed a serious political blunder and placed himself in an unenviable light. Allciv'said : "Well, we began several months ago in a campaign, didn't we? And there were two men running. One man seemed to have a fondness fond-ness for having his delegates selected by caususes and political committees; com-mittees; the other man had a strong preference for primaries. One man stood before the people in the opening of the campaign and ho said that this is a government of the people, for the people, and by a representative part of the people; the other man stood upon the great platform of Abraham Lincoln, and said that this is a government govern-ment oft he people, for the people and by the people. And then Mr. Taft. fearing that we wouldn't understand clearly what he meant by 'a representative part of the people,' in a speech at Akron, Ohio, made this additional contribution to the warm weather foolishness. He said get this now, this is important, this is classical 'We all know that a large body of the American people are not capable, upon instant deliberation, of deciding vast problems. The only difference between myself and other public men,' says the President, 'is that I am not afraid to say so.' Now, all glory to him for his spunk for not being afraid to say that silly thing! But it isn't true. Nobody knows that better than the people of Utah; nobody knows any better than the people of Utah that no great reform that has carried government gov-ernment forward to a more efficient state of existence, ever began up hero with the representativ part of the people and fought its way down to that large body whom Mr. Taft declares is not capable of doing their own thinking. Kvery great reform, or reform that has amounted to anything, that has carried government forward, began down here with that large body of the American people whom Mr. Taft declares is not capable of deciding vast problems, and it has forced its way up, fought its way up, until it has secured its victory from the representative part. The representative part of the people have never been strongly in favor of reform; they have generally been satisfied with their jobs!" |