Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-05

self under no pledge nor receive any IN
/" structions which are binding upon him
"for to do SO would imply that he is
bound, after being convinced that the
" general good requires a certain course,
" to take directly the opposite. 1t would
place the citizens who cannot know the
"reasons which appear after full deliber-
" alton, in the position of giving advice to
zone who has carefully listened to the
:" deliberations, and of controlling his ac-
I" tions, although they ought to be of the
50 same mind with him, and although he
'' was sent to the assembly to find out
what was best and to vote after deliber-
" alton upon conviction.
This is very cogent reasoning In fact
it covers the whole ground, and it shows
in the right light the action of those
members of the late Legislature who I'M
dertook to vote for the repeal of the Drain
age Act against their convictions, and
merely because they found an ignorant SEN
timent existing on the subject among some
of their constituents. 1t is manifest that
if the doctrines of those members were
generally allowed there would be an end
to intelligent deliberation, and parliament
airy government would become useless.
For if constituencies are to decide import
ant questions without any examination of
the facts, and are then to send deputies to
record their blind prejudice, we are rele-
gated to mob government forthwith. No
grayer question than this can engage the
attention of the public, and since it is
clear that the true theory of representation
has been lost in many parts of the State,
it is necessary that the subject should be
looked into carefully and conscientiously.
Take the case of the Drainage Act in
illustration. Members came here without
any knowledge of it, but, in some cases,
impressed by a blind prejudice which had
been cultivated by the misrepresentation
of narrow-minded, ignorant or malignant
press. Here for the first time they came
in contact with the facts; they learned
that the question was a great one they
became informed regarding its merits.
They had by this time parted company
with their constituents. They understood
the case their constituents did not. But,
nevertheless, they insisted on throwing
away all the benefits of their enlarged
knowledge, and in voting upon the meas
ure from the standpoint of the ignorance
of their constituents. Could anything more
irrational and preposterous be conceived {?
For what purpose did these members come
to Sacramento? They could have voiced
the ignorance of their constituents just as
well by staying at home. Their consulta.
ton with their colleagues produced no
good results, because they chose to regard
their reason and judgment as in suspension.
They were in fact useless to their constitu-
ents and worse than useless to the State,
through their adoption of theory which
has no support in American history, and
which is radically at variance with any
and every sane conception of representative
government.
This theory necessitates the assumption
that elaboration is farce, and that the
representative is not representative at
all, but merely blind deputy. We do
not hesitate to express the opinion that no
man who holds this doctrine of the rela-
lions and duties of the representative ought
to be elected by the people to such posi-
only deputy will nine times out OF ten
represent nothing but the stupidity and
perversity OF his district. The true repre-
sentative is he who, like Burke, weighs
and determines for his constituents who
regards himself as put there in their
place, and bound to exercise all his
intelligence, all his consciousness, all
his knowledge, in doing what he
believes to be the best for the general
interest first, and then for the interest of
his particular constituents. Had the late
Legislature been animated by such feel
ings had its members clearly compre-
hended the relations in which they stood
to their constituents we should not have
witnessed SO many humiliating and IRA
tional surrenders of Judgment to dis
tant prejudice which ought to have been ex-
cluded, and the conclusions reached in
many cases would have been more evil
IDENTIFY the legitimate result of elaboration
Says DIR. Woolsey: cit is the duty of
/" the representative, as derived from his
responsibilities and powers, at times to
oppose his constituents will; and
to do so may be the highest act of
political integrity, since the temptation
Z" for him is to do just the contrary, to
:" keep their favor by following and not by
:" leading Them. This is the misfortune
of most modern representatives. Political
ambition renders the representative more
ANXIOUS u ndbtel LIS oohotiUuen1s Ciiah W
advance the interests of the commonwealth
and thus the most important issues are
sacrificed to petty considerations of per-
sonal advance ment
TIE ADJOURNMENT OF TIE LEGIsLA-
TURE
The Legislature has adjourned, but
under circumstances which must render it
necessary to call an extra session. The
delays which have made the past session
so barren of results have been attributable
to several causes. The determination of a