Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1880-11-13


4 OwasvN0s.
The people Of the United States
are never done Wanting the sups-
riority Of their Institutions to those
Of any race on earth, and yet there
are special features Of those insti-
tutions which challenge inquiry,
and make the judicious doubt, II
net grieve. Englishmen and GER
tain Americans are proud OF 70.
gardlng England and the United
States ~ in the relation Of mother
and daughter. In some respects
the English government Is far
more flexible aud more responsive
to the popular will than ours.
Take two notable instances In the
history of the United States. Tho
Republican party, to increase ito
vote, and assure its hold on power,
In 1854, nominated Andrew john
sou, . Union Democrat, for Vice
President, on the ticket with
Abraham Lincoln. johnson was
IN emphatic and noble character.
There Was no disguise about him.
He was . Democrat, and an aggres.
Give Democrat, from the crown Of
his head to the soles Of his feet.
His voice was the most ringing
aud resonant OF all those which
were heard In the United States
Senate when the Secession Issue
arose. When the mailman Booth
assassinated Lincoln, johnson
really honestly tried to carry out
the programme outlined by the
Martyr before hts death.
Mark the result. Here. through
. crime. . Democrat was Presi-
dent. And yet the Republican par.
~ eirded up its Iotns aud tried to
impeach and remove johnson. It
filled through the patriotic atti.
tide Of such men as Senators Will
liam Pitt Fesssndeu, Doolittie and
Trumbull.
But the significant feature OF the
political problem was that John
son. made by an accident Of poll
tics, and an insane impulse Of an
assassin, President, was powerless.
He could turn neither to the right
nor left without Republican dicta-
ton or coercion.
Thus the Democracy, under our
system In command Of the execu-
tive, was powerless.
Jumping = span Of ten years, the
scandals Of the Grant administra.
ton made a House of Representa-.
tives, which was Republican by q
majority Of 1870, Democratic by a
nearly equal majority. YAt Grant
was sttll in the White house, and
the people, who desired y change,
were as powerless when they con-
trolled the House Of Representa-
tives. under Grant, as they had
been when they controlled the Ex-
eeutive, under Johnson.
There is the contrast between
the English and the American
systems. II the executive, under
the English system, were called q
President instead of q King, the
English system would, In the light
OF the capricious revolutions which
have characterised American poll.
tics during the last fifteen years,
be better one than ours. In 1855,
In 1874 and In 1875, the American
people undou btediy meant to pro-
nounce In favor OF the Democratic
party, and yet this expression OF
public opinion was blocked and
defeated by the exceptional and
peculiar features Of our political
system. In England every one Of
those phases of a changing public
sentiment would have been en-
phasized by a change OF ministry
which, In the constitutional sys.
tenn Of that country, means o
change Of government responsive
to the public demand, the execu-
tive bring mere fisureliead, rul.
ing without governing. But, In
the United States, no such result
has followed; aud to that extent
our system needs rem odeling upon
the basis Of English Institutions.