Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-03-11

try to begin their united fortune. Ou
will hand me the bricks" he said, "and l
will build"
Il The Philosophy cf Our Politics.
Prof. W. g. Sumner is delivering short
course Of lectures on. political topics to
the graduates Of Yale. and the n. Y. Tri.
=bune reports At some length, the one on
The Constitution of the American Re-
public" 1t is we'll worth a perusal, Wig
orous and healthy, and will have intiu-
ence on those those who heard it-or who
may read it. -..... -,...s
He says: 1T is the fundamental prln-
ciple of constitionalisa1 that it should2not
legislate for any class whatever; but tor
the whole. The idea of the nation is up
permost 1t cares not whether men are
all equal or not, but under it all men are
personally equal--equal in personal rights
equal before the law IF Boss Shep-
herd escapes punishment, it is violation
Of constitutionalism. The security of
property Of all men is impaired by "the
get off" of such a man.
Another violation OF it is when legisla-
ton runs in the interest of 'poor men,"
or Grangcrs, etc. Another, when taxes
are voted by one class to he paid by an
other, as happens continually, perhaps
regularly in our cities. The old idea of
our government as "a system of checks
and balances is gone out of fashion. If
checks ard balances were equal, there
would result condition of stable equi
librium. "The correct idea of constltu
tionalism is a proper adjustment OF the
organs and institutions of the state for the
sake Of the purpose for which the govern.
ment exists" ~. r,>. ...,
The government established in the Uni
ted States is constitutional republic and
the bad tendency and dangers which have
been developed lie in the direction of
making it a pure democracy, the spirit Of
which is first to secure equality, and then
to reach in legislation an immediate ex
preston of the will Of the people. This
is tluctuating and variable and if it is to
be at once transmitted into action, it runs
The risk Of a grave mistake. Examples
are numerous. But our government is
hedgcd in, constitutionally. and we are
]obliged to act with consideration and re
straint Among the restraints are our
courts which arc the highest dependence
of Constitutional government. When these
give way the system is gone. This is why
an elective judiciary is such terrible
menace.
The courts have often come in the way
Of the people! Then the cry has been
"Down with the supreme court" In like
manner there have been the cries, "away
with the senate!" and "away with the
veto" But we have written constitu.
ton, which defines in black and white,
what the government is to be, and is a
lin citation on the spirit of democracy
1t cannot have its own way at every mo-
ment. Parties may go to extremes, but
here is tie law to bring them back.
Another Limitation on the democracy
is found in the two-thiris or three-fourths
vote, which guarantees against the tyran
ny and headlong action of fmajorit,es, and
shows the American tendency to estab.
lish a constitutional system.
Since the above was written, Paof s
has addressed the Yale Alumni Associa
tion. on the occasion Of its fourth litera
Try and social entertainment at belmont
co.'s, N: Y, on the subject of political
science in American colleges" This as
sociation numbers some 230 members, in
Guiding some well-known names.
! He remarked that the teaching of this
science is something new. There is con
scquently the difficulty arising from the
want of textbooks and trained men t
take it up. Another question is, how fal
can you teach political science in Uni
versity now? That depends on the other
one, how far is there any such science
His own apinion and belief is that there
are principles and laws which are inevit
able and perfect in their operation, thai
undcrlie all these social sciences and
make it possible to arrange them in text
, books and and teach them in the clas.
room. His belief is, also, that we cal
civil liberty in England and this country
is a grand induction from the long centu
ries OF experience out Of which our. faith
! ers wrought this group Of doctrines wher'
upon we now build ourhatious AID tount
) our national parties.
+ The necessity for such instruction in
creases in this country, for the reason
5 that the questions before US are especial
" scientific ones; fiscal questions that re
!. quire training, study and scientific know]
: edge for any man TO form an intelligen
opinion respecting them. Remembcrin!
E the crowd of questions that wait for an
/, sWer, a man needs all tie help that sci
5 encc can give to qualify him to decide a
i Eonce accurately and summarily. We nee,
q body Of trained statesmen. Ity0u don
]. believe it, read the Congressional Globe
G We need \ set of men who can do some
4 thing better for US than to find fault witt
3 what is done, viz: substitute something
S wiser and trner. There is no better wa
IL -. . Ia- .sS 81