The Portland daily press., 1870-06-02
TIL E PR ESS.
Thursday Mornine Juns 2, 1870.
The Representative Man.

The time is at hand when the State and its
various subdivisions are TO decide each for
itself who is its representative man. 1t ous hit
to awaken the earnest thought, not merely of
the leaders, but of every voter what sort of man
will prove the truest representative OF each con-
sttuency. The ordinary way of determil il G
the representative man is to ask which of II e
candidates agrees most fully with his const t.
uency in his view Of public measures. This
is too narrow a comparison. He is not re-
nesSarily the best representative who agrees
most fully with his constituency and can ad-
vocate their views with the greatest ability
indeed such entire agreement is suspicious as
showing want of independence and origin
aiity, II not of positive convictions. 1t is
only demagceues and superficial thinkers who
peheve in everything that suits the popular
taste. Honest and independent men will rot
always go with the carrent They will find
themselves compelled at times to disagree
with public opinion. The really representa-
tive man Is he Who represents the people not
nierey upon the passing issues of the day,
(tnls may be Important but in character and
general worth. Such man will not repre
sent the people upon every particular meas
ure, OUT ne is as nearly perfect representa-
tive as it is possible to obtain.
The truth is, character is valued too little
as representative quality, and opinions (eas-
ly assumed for the the occasion) too much.
One reason why we have no more honest and
independent men in office is because the peo
pie will not tolerate them. Not that constitu-
encies do not value honesty and independence
in themselves considered. TIE trouble is
these qualities lose their value in popular es-
tlmation when they lead public men, as must
often be the case, to disagree with their con-
stituents. Free institutions can never be a
complete success till the public learn TO value
honest dissent more highly than hollow and
often hypocritical advocacy of what is popu-
lar. 1t is not enough to believe honesty Good
in the abstract. 1t must be taken in the con-
crete, just as it shows itself, or not at all. If
the people want really honest, earnest, indie
pendent and judicious legislation and admin
istration, they must elect honest, earnest, in
dependent and judicious men, even if sucb
with all the noisy demonstrations of the dem
agogue. Any man who will examine the leois
lation of this State for the last ten or twelve
years, and see what mass of patchwork it is,
how many laws passed one session were found
to need repeal or amendment the next. will
not have TO think twice to convince himself
that there is screw loose somewhere. Much
of our liquor legislation looks a GOOD deal
more like the result of political tinkeripg for
the sake OF buncomb than of well-considered
action springing from persevering study and
earnest reflection upon the subject.
There ought to be improvement in this re-
spect, and it will be promoted not by any
third party movement which shall divide
those who favor restraints upon the liquor
traffic because they differ as to the means 10
be adopted to accomplish this end, but by
electing the most thoughtful, intelligent and
public-spirited men to make and administer.
the laws. With such men in office we shall
stand chance in the Ion 7 run of having good
laws and of having them well administered.
1t is quite evident that our liquor legislation
has not been brought to complete perfection.
and that all have much to learn in respect to
the proper legislative remedies to be applied.
There is very strong reason, therefore, why.
instead of quarreing, those who differ on this
point should. by candid comparison OF views,
strive to gain some instruction that shall ena-
Bile them to lay the axe at the root of the tree.
and to base legislation upon solid az d endur-
ing principles, leaving to moral agencies what
legislation cannot accomplish.