Appealing to the People
By T.
In his speech before the National Progressive gathering in Chicago a few days ago, Ex-President Roosevelt made continual affirmation of the fact that this new party in a special sense is to go to the people. He claimed that both of the old parties are "controlled by professional politicians in the interests of the privileged classes," and hence, he affirms, "the first essential in the Progressive program is the right of the people to rule." Then there followed such statements as, "The American people, and not the courts, are to determine their own fundamental policies;" and then, "The acts of the courts should be subject to, and not above, the final control of the people as a whole;" then again, "The people themselves must be the ultimate makers of their own constitution." His address brought in frequent expressions of this character, showing that the new party in a peculiar way is making a bid direct to the people.11There is no question but that such doctrine may be made very popular, for the people like to be told that they are the rulers; but every one knows, who has ever read history to any extent at all, that no class of people have ever been more ridden down by tyrants than were the peoples of different times who were made to believe that they were ruling, when certain leaders, or demagogs (whichever you wish to call them), were carrying on their own notions and schemes by getting the people to shout for them. It was mistaken notions of the rule of the people that gave France her great revolution a century ago. It seems all right in theory to say that the people can be trusted, but as a matter of fact one of the most important functions of constitutional law is to guard the people against acts that they will commit when under excitement, or before they have sufficiently weighed matters to arrive at a proper conclusion. Then when the theory becomes general that everything must be referred to the people, it develops a class of politicians who care nothing for principle, but only that they may be popular with the people. They want to have political office, or some kind of political preferment, and the question is not one of principle with them, but how they may be popular with the people. Such individuals fain would have themselves believe, and would try to make others think, that they are leaders. They are not leading, they are following the people. One great demagog in the time of the French Revolution, on hearing a commotion in the street, looked out to see a great crowd of people rushing along, he knew not whither. As soon as he saw it, he said: "There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader." And thus it is with a great many of these supposed leaders. They are all the time saying, by their actions, that they must follow the people, because they are their leaders. But barring any difference of opinion on all these questions, there is a peculiar statement made in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation that ought to be watched in this connection. There is a power introduced in that chapter which will say "to them that dwell on the earth" that they should do certain things. This shows that whatever that movement may be that is spoken of in the prophecy, it will be a popular one, it will appeal to "them that dwell on the earth," it will go to "the people." Now we would not wish any one to think that we were giving sufficient prominence to either Mr. Roosevelt or his party to believe that they are directly fulfilling this prophecy, but we would like to suggest that there is a popular trend in this time toward appealing to the people direct for everything, that will yet become so general that it will fulfil this very prophecy to which we are referring. It is truly marvelous, when we come to consider it, how all the events of this time find expression in the ancient prophecies of the Scripture. The times are unnatural, the times are ominous. Such unnatural and such ominous times could not have escaped the notice of God, and He could not have failed to give us warning concerning them through the prophecies. We know that in this time, as well as in all past time, the great majority will make light of these prophetic utterances, and they will make light of the claim that prophecy is being fulfilled through the events that are transpiring; but careful study of the prophecies, and comparing them with current events, certainly ought to cause any man to think seriously. T.