Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 215, 15 Iune 1891 — THE PEOPLE. [ARTICLE]

THE PEOPLE.

: „!vlng m Vnited £tates one tbe word "people" pronouncrri with nearlv the respect (rn»l intonation as the word sovereii'p.. There the people are ?overeigir. All political power rests near wh°re it originates — the people. k i? true that two men are more h» nest collectively than either se- : parrttely, except always. they be ju'. ->;nplice< ' The seltlsh, sordid, irjotives of individuals in a' way c.m , 4 °i e.ieh other in <'Omni«nitie.-? of nsen. -Very fcv/ men couid be f r )"rid who would sepr.rately give , tiieir lives and fortunes to reson° negroes from .->lavery; but tens of■ iliou-S'ands were ready to sacrifi"e everything for the principle! of hunian iiberty. It is the people I ar: t the people alone w T ho have J *;v<:r shown any real love of ab•jtrr..jt right and justice. And everv ref©rm awd everv step in the line of huinan advancement bas had its origin in a sentiment of the popular mind. Great ideas and noble thoughts have eome from isolated individuals who have usually suffered for them; but notbing has •■bt:e.n accomplished until it has _taken root in the slow brain of the average man. The masses have a sense of right and justice whieh is usually quite obscured by self, but . let self be illimated and the moral sense will show*inself. For this reason the people are the safest "trustees for all political ! power, and also because they are the real source of that power. >suppose it were a question of elect-! ing a justice of the supreme court, ;\n office that, it is usually held, should be appointed and be above the influence of puhlie opinion. If he is to be appointed by the sover. eign how many influences for evil may have full play. The individuai preference of the King or his prejudice may determine the nomination. Money infiuence, inftu«nee of favorites, a word whispered in the bed-room; a thousand unhealthful mfluences determine the ehoiee. And the nominee is more likely be and continue an intre|juer than if selected by any other T)iethod whatsoever. lUit suppose tii'3 ele"tive po»ver rests with four ■ men, the cabinet 4 will not the ehaneep be diminished for any utter]y unworthv individual gotting in. The members though seperatclv vvilling to put i:v their own m.in willohject to tho ehoiee of the others They will say he is identi■fi;id with a ehurch or commerced interest, he is a man of 110 ability, he is a mar» of ?hady record. a oertain Helection of tiie least objectronable nn>st. take plaee. But for the planters or any strong fac:ion it 18 an easy thmg to buy or inHuenee four men. Sftppose t';e power to eieet were in the legislatuffe | it would usually bappen tbat only a few votep wouhl j be reqtiired to detormine the resuU. 1 The kiud of nien kho e&me to o;ir, legi«lature are eoiinently purchas-

|able, the .eandidsfc hinis rj ]f might j buy en >ugh v<Jte.s U» el<vt*liinK }Amongst the pettv poiitieiuns of llegis lative aHi?emblies political f jobbery and eorriiption exist.s Suppase ag:iin the power to elect were in the h;irds of the people, īiikl a free press were at'liberty-to give the fulle>-t infornaatioii about the caßdi<lates. Xo man whose reputation svere not spotless and whose attainnients wer£ not res- ; peetabie \vould dare to eome for- | ward and staud as a cadidate before the country. If he lx?longed to some aggressive or narrow religiou?, political, soeial or commer-* eial faction no matter how rich or Dowerfu!. h,e eo»uld never jfeceive a majority of the v'otes.> To bnbo or inAuenee a lars;e body of men impossible. Five thousand dollars will buy a legislator, but it will not purchase enough votes to eleei an unpopul;»r or unfit man. Wholesale bribery is wellnigh impossible with the secret ballot. The man I who i< niean enough to take the ! sniali sum that a single vote is ! worth, is- inean enough to vote ;against the inan who paid him i when he is in the litt.le box wherei no one ean see. Briberv must be very unsatisfactory where the buy-! er ean never be sure that he gets what he pays for. Let every oflicer and every servant ofthe government high and low be e]ected by a popular vote, and we will have an end to corruption, favoritism, nepotism, persecution and intestinal disorders.