People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1896 — Sibley of Pennsylvania. [ARTICLE]

Sibley of Pennsylvania.

The following from Joseph C. Sibley appears in a recent issue of the Sledge Hammer, of Meadville, Pa.: “My attention is called to an open letter addressed to me, signed by Dr. Charles Decker of Montrose, Pa., in which, as is staged in plain language, ‘ this is no time to bandy questions or stand idle.’ lam asked. ‘Do you favor the Initiative and Referendum as carried on in Switzerland as the system our government shall adopt? ” If it was permis sible to divide the question, whether I believe in the initiative and referendum as a valued adjunct to free government and a protection to pure democracy, I should unqualifiedly say, yes. I have been for years, I trust, a consistent believer .in the principles of the initiative and referendum. But when I am asked to state whether or not I am in favor of it as carried on in Switzerland, I am compelled to reply, that in a nation of seventy mil lions of people, with the forms of government in other respects so entirely different, to apply it here as there would, in my judgment, lead to the defeat of the very objects sought to be secured. The cantons of Switzerland. a country whose geographical area is much less than that of any one of many of our states, hardly greater in fact than some counties, can well adopt a system which would work beneficially to the people. “With the adoption of the referendum, in this nation if I may be permitted to express my own personal opinion, there should be certain well defined objects which it should especially cover, and without pretending to enumerate all, will briefly outline some. For instance, any increase in taxation or changes in the method of raising revenue, our financial system, declaring war, or accepting terms of peace, legislation affecting industries employing the energies of large percentages of our citizenship, etc. etc., perhaps embracing long ranges of subjects and topics. To apply the initiative and referendum to all legislation of the municipality and township, county, state and nation, would, by constant reference .of these topics of inferior importance to the people in time serve to defeat the very objects sought to be secured. No extended argument upon this point I trust is necessary. I know no reason why my views on this subject should be of anymore general interest than that of any private citizen. But I have so long been convinced of the wisdom of such checks to bad government, when the intelligent freemen of the whole nation may give utterance to their sovereign will; I have-so long believed that, in a republic, where the willUof the majority

j must necessarily by the rule of i action for al), that the more clear and distinct it is possible to voice that will, the more certainly we will insure both stability of gov ernment and fair degree of opportunity for the welfare of the citizen. “I think this is the first time that I have been in print for years and probably will be the last. My views have been so studiously distorted and perverted, and my sentiments misrepresented, that I have found it more agreeable to pass them by with a careless smile. Dr. Decker has asked his question in apparent good faith and couched in respectful terms. I trust, therefore, that my reply may be considered equally respectful in its character. Permit me in this connection, however, to add. that whatsoever in my judgment may serve to dignify and elevate our common humanity, whatsoever will equalize opportunities for each citizen of the republic to reap the fruits of his own industry. whatsoever may tend to promote the fraternal bond's of our common humanity, whatsoever may perpetuate the state whose citizenship claim the blessings of freedom, can never fail to interest me as a citizen. And whatever opinions I may have, and how much I may differ from others, I hold my opinions as a matter of conscience, and not as capital stock for political deals. I have tasted the sweets, so-called, of public life, and I have also enjoyed the blessings of private citizenship. The latter more truly meets my conception of happiness. I have no political ambition on this earth ungratified.' nor am* I a candidate, nor nave I any desire to be. of any political party. I merely desire that my vote shall be cast in common with that of others, for all those blessings possible to spring from good government, and in opposition to those results arising from badly organized

society. “I notice in your columns that some one is running me by popular vote for the .presidency. It cannot but be somewhat flattering to my vanity to notice that so respectable a proportion of those voting deem me qualified to represent in public life their high conceptions of fitness. Perhaps, like most people. I am not unmoved by kindly sentiments. especially of those who know me, nor am I easily deject ed because of the unfriendly criticisms of those who do not. And while I appreciate their kind wishes, following my own desires and pleasures. [ would accept no official position that may ever come to me, except under the same sense of duty that would impel me to accept service in the ranks of those who, under a call to arms, were struggling for a nation’s liberties. I am confident that my services at present are not demanded or necessary in either capacity; therefore, I prefer to stand as one of the individual seventy million sovereigns of the republic. I find from this position it is much pleasanter to, ciflticise the mistakes of those whom we have employed as our public servants, than to be that public servant, faithfully attempting toperform his duty, “You are at liberty to mail this letter to Dr. Decker rather than publish it, as I desire, so far as possible, to provoke no more harsh criticisms or favorable comments, nor do I desire to rivet the attention of the public eye. But I merely wish to'assure Dr. Decker, or any other friend, that I have attempted faithfully and conscientiously to study and comprehend some of these great problems of society, which, while not pressing for solution now. must within the next few years, as never before, be met by a citizenship who love justice absolute and exact in its character, and who will have tne courage to grapple with the great industrial problems with which the womb of the future is already pregnant. Believe me sincerely yours. “Joseph C. Shibley.”