Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-05-13
From the Cincinnati Ncnpareil.
Extension Of Democracy.

rom the Slnc1nnatI Ncnparell.
Extension Of Democracy. IS
We notice among the measures which
the Toledo Republican advocates in re,
spect to the New Constitution, an impor-
tant doctrine which we beg leave to briefly
consider. <st ....,...... III
The submission of all inlportant laacs
to the rote Of the people. .'aa 5so,,l.a.s,
1t is well known that our governmfntis
not democracy. Democracy is the rule
uf the people directly asithout the interyep-
tion of representatives The term depsoc-s
rlcy is from. TIVE Greek words signifying
the Iple or jud gmeat Of the, people. Our
goyernue ents are represent tafiYe. and
the term by which they are designated
Republican governments. or Republics, a
term derived from the ancient Roman in
stitutions which provided a representative
form of government.
Each State is a republic, and the nation
is a vast Republic composed of confedera-
cy of Republican States. ......
In pure Democracy there are no rep
resentatives of the people, but each citizen
meets in the general congregation of the
people and votes directly upon all measures,
as they did in some of the early Grecian
Democracies.
Now, we are in favor of making our gov,
ernments as Democratical as possible, and
to this end have opposed constitutional pro-
hibitions and restrictions. We thank the
Republican for calling our attention to a
plan by which our form Of government may
be rendered almost exclusively Democratic.
Submit all important laws to the vote of
the people," and they thus legis!ate for
themselves direclly-vote yea and nay on
each bill as if they were assembled together
as legislators
The Republican form was substituted for
the Democratical because of the utter in
possibility of assembling the people Of a
wide and thickly settled State in one place
to make laws essential to the public pros
perity. ,. ...s---
But in this plan of submitting the laws
to the people We find the difficulty obs lated,
and see how easy it is to institute a pure
Democracy evon for the government Of mill
ions in single State!
Indeed a constitution might be framed.
providing that any citizen may originate a
bill, discuss it before the people, obtain
vote upon it, aud if adopted by the majori-
ty it should become the law OF the State.
There would be no difficulty in this what
ever. The advantages would be the fol-
lowing. ....
1t would make every citizen an in
dependent legislator.
2. 1t would promote the popular intel
ligence by leading the people to study the
principles of the public good, and to thor
oughly understand the object of society and
government.
3. 1t would make all the people feel
their responsibility, and Danish all dema-
goguism and political ambition.
4. 1t would secure the people against
over-much legislation, and confine our stat
utes to few of the most wholesome laws.
5. 1t would diminish the expenses Of
government by abolishing the numerous
useless offices that are made the leeches Of
the public treasure.
6 1t would do away with party excite.
ments, and with all the corruptions that en-
ter into the political contests
7. 1t would Danish the acerbity of par
ty strife, purify our public journals that are
so frequently running over with all that is
low and vile.
s. 1t would promote the public honesty
by removing the temptation which the par
ties hold out for equivocation. sophistry
and falsehood.
9. And finally it would present TO the
world sublime democracy embracing mill
ions of people, and wide area of territory.
Each paper Of the State would be the me-
dunn through which the merits Of all bills
would be discussed, and the whole people
would be the legislative body to deliberate
and finally pass eractments.
How much would this do to stir up the
public mind and direc, the thoughts Of the
whole people to great subjects How much
more important would such change con-
fer upon the subject of popular educati
by making the people feel The necessity of
thorough mental culture! Now, the people
say that some lawyer or learned man can
be selected to make laws, and there is no re-
al necessity for mental cultivation. 1t
would be different under the democratic
system.
Let then all important laws be submitted
to the vote of the people; let it be SO ar
ranged that ALL laws may be thus submit
ted, and the legislative body dispensed with!
Who is ready to press this great reforma
This is step of constitutional progress
worth attending to! -.
We may hereafter more fnlly develope
the system.
nA al