Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-06-27
BOOK REVIEW.


DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT. A STUDY OF Poll
Tics BY Albert Stickney. New York: Harper
q Bros. San Francisco: A. L. Bancroft 4 Co.
In this compact volume the author seeks
TO impress the reader with the pressing po-
litical need for National Constitutional
Convention. This, he claims, is demanded
10 develop true democratic form of gov
eminent for he views the experience of
the past one hundred years in the nature
of an experiment only, but one that has
been g success, though not in all respects
what impatient men have wished. His
belief is that the trainers of the Constitu-
ton had no idea that their work was done
for all time. The citizen must have a
greater right than to deposit the ballot-he
must have a real voice in the Sc
lection of public men and public
measures. He must have more than
the right of periodical revolution
by turning out one set of men from office
and putting in another. Our present form,
he claims, does not secure to US real politi-
cal freedom and the supremacy of the
peoples will and judgment. Every indi-
yidual should have a voice in the selection
and control of the men to administer pub
lie atfairs-nOt an aggregated and indis-
crimate control by all the people, but a
special charge. Every man must have his
one free voice, his full weight, his wisest
action in the control of every public affair
The public meeting is the organ of the
peoples thought and will. If the numbers
are too large in given groups, they must
meet and act through their elected repre-
sentatives, and in choosing these the people
should meet as individuals in primary dis
tricts Thus in electing a President, the
division might be made in this manner on
tie basis Of 100000 voters l electoral
body of 400 %, 600 votes TO choose clector
$50 votes to each primary district; 100 such
primary districts to every | greater district.
So every $50 would meet and elect one rep
resentatiye. The 100 so chosen would meet
and elect one member from each larger
district to the final body, which would in
turn meet and elect the President To the
objection that suggests itself TO every mind,
that in each small district there viii be
men who wish to shape action to secure
pers 1nal ends, he replies that the meeting
of the citizens will afford them the best OPP
portunity they can have to defeat unworthy
schemes. TO those acquainted with the
mastery disciplinary powers OF the modern
political boss, this explanation Will not APP
pear to be very forcibLe: nevertheless, il
is better than the proposed secret-society
plan being agitated at this time i'll San
Francisco. But we cannot consider all the
details Mr.. Stickney advances. So far as
he urges the assembling of citizens fire.
quenty in open meeting to consider gov
ornamental affairs, he is unquestionably
right Men thus meeting viii come to
know each other better, TO realize their
power, and thus easier thwart the schemes
of the boss. He is eminently sound when
he says:
The able and honest men in every society are,
amounts of time to the discharge. of the ordi-
nary public duties OF the citizen. In
the meeting of ordinary citizens, nothing
weighs like the clear common sense OF sue
cesstul business men. And the men who are
successful are, in the long run, the men who
are able and honest. These men, if We use the
public meeting OF all citizens at all times, for
all popular action on men and measures will
control popular action.
In this respect the scheme of Mr. Stick
ney is theoretically correct; the town meet
ing is too greatly in disuse. But how to
re i've the interest in it is the question. 1t
cannot be done by the force OF enactment
1t must come about by reason Of the con-
yictions of men regarding the duties and
interests of citizenship, and q personal
realization of individual responsibility
Sticllney holds that the revival of the pub
lie meeting is practicable, and his reason
ing on this point is one Of the most inter
esting chapters in the volume. In brief
he believes it practicable because it
is simpler and more democratic than
our present political organization systems
In the public meeting he would have action
taken on only one man, or one measure at
one time, thus he would eliminate gen.
eral tickets in the process of popular cleo
ton In the organization of government
each man and each body of men, he holds,
must have one function the supreme con-
troll of each peoples public affairs must be
in one body the executive administration
must be under one head and the body
having the supreme control of each
peoples public affairs must be that
people. So, the head of each peoples
executive administration must be selected
by that people and subOrdinates be Sc
lected by that head. While the security
for wise and honest administration must
! be largely the result of wise choice by the
people, vet he holds there is other security,
and this ne finds III the theory Of having
every man III the State, and every official
at all times, under the direct supervision
and control of some one man or body
of men best fitted for that duty.
The security for this supervision
is the control by each people of
the members of its own public
| meeting; so he would have no
tenure by election; every member of a
popular assembly would thus continue TO
serve until his whole people, by judgment
expressed in its popular assembly, decide
that public interest demands his removal.
So elections would be held only to fill va
cancies. This is a startling proposition
bat thought divcsts it of much of its
seeming impracticability though in saying
this we do not mean to be understood as
being committed to the doctrine but
we do say that such 4 democratic
system would have a tendency to
destroy the professional politician class
which is Of all things desirable As to the
discussion of the fitness of men to thus
govern by popular assemblies; as to the
possibility Of securing the free and healthy
action Of the people by such a system; as
to whether tenure by election makes good
government impossible; these are matters
in which we cannot follow the author
now. The volume is worthy of thought
full perusal and the methods by which
the ends he points out can be attained are
discussed SO clearly and simply that these
concluding pages will greatly interest the
| reader. We may say, however, that the
plan proposed would abolish term elections
| for Congressman and the President; fill
vacancies by popular election; consolidate
the Senate and House of Representatives,
with power to control and remove the
President, the latter to solely control and
appoint the heads of departments, and the
head of each to control and remove his
subordinates. These are the reforms Mr..
Stickney would introduce by reformation
Of the Constitution, and upon which we
shall take occasion at another time to ex-
| press our own views.
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