The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-09-02
"ARTHUR RICHMOND "ON SAMUEL
j. RANDALL.

arthur Richmond" the Junlus of the
North American Review, addressed him
self, in the September number, to Samuel
j. Randall, M. G. The letter is a most re-
markable one-as broad and profound as
1t is critical and caustlc. But it is really
an attack upon the whole machinery of
our present political system in the United
States, rather than mere rhetorical as
sault upon one man. Or rather the man
is attacked only as the incarnation of the
system. Mr.. Randall, for instance, is
told this:
"You have never uttered sentence
which thoughtful mind would read with
interest, or care to remember, and have
never advocated, let alone introduced, a
measure that had in it shadow of policy
or the remotest suggestion of principle.
And yet you stand to-day the truest leader,
if I may use that word in such connec-
ton, of party that for half century
controlled our government. You are fit
to hold such prominence in either party.
You are the embodiment of American
politics, the central figure of the apoth-
costs of political commonplace, an ami
mated platitude that emblems all plati-
tudes. Il 4 How you came to be a
possibility so cisagreeable is found in
the history of our government"
According to arthur Richmond" the
fathers of our government, some hundred
years since, undertook the impossible in
ian effort to make written constitution
and legislate in that direction for all time
to come" Mr.. Randall Is ''the net pro
duct and final upshot of that attempt
and stands before us mot in the light of
man, but of an institution"
When the patriotic fathers undertook
the impossible they were embarrassed
by a great fear" In creating govern
ment for the people, they still feared the
people, and sought to create political
structure that would be safe from the gov
eminent. seeking to make the govern.
ment solid, they made it immovable." II
| is "cast iron from end to end" They
gave US an executive elected every four
years. During this term he cannot be
touched save by death or impeachment
Out of respect for ''the colonial supersti-
ton of chartered rights, which grew into
state sovereignty, house of lords, called
a senate, was created the members OF
which hold Office for six years. To con.
| bcuu dB dlu5b IhCbCs bhC iubhClo BdNC ur
"a house of representatives, that against
the veto power of both the senate and ex.
ecutive is, and has ever been, utterly help.
less. Nay, as the government developed
the house became an humble dependence
on the executive. The result is form OF
government called republican, that is fur
Their removed from popular control than
any despotism of Europe"
With a good deal more truth than
poetry" Arthur Richmond continues:
"We are republic in form and des-
potism in fact, and while, apparently, a
government of parties lie the govern
ments of Europe, have parties only in
name, that exist without that difference of
policy and principle that would justify
the contention. This last comes from the
fact that our cast-iron government can
not be moved by an assertion of opinion,
and so all agitation of measures among
the people has ceased, and while communi-
ties of Europe are excited in the most VIC
lent manner by grave questions affecting
the good or i'll of humanity, our elections