The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-25
COMMENTS ON THE CoNSTITU-
TION.

Within week two DISTINGUISHED
citizens of the republic have expressed
their views upon the constitution.
These are Postmaster General Wilson
and Cardinal Gibbons. Mr.. Wilson gave
his views before the annual meeting of
the New York Bar Association, in the
anniversary grafton, taking for his
subject Some Points in the Making of
Our Constitution" Cardinal Gibbons
views were expressed in an address he
deliv cred on the occasion of the install
laticn of Rev. DR.. Conaty as rector of
the Catholic university.
Mr.. Wilson treated at length on the
constitution; Cardinal Gibbons spoke
of it incidentally. Very truly did the
former say that if there is blame or
weakness anywhere, it is with those
who elect rather than with those who
are elected. with the people who dele
gate rather than with those who are
delegated He regards one of the
great and growing evils of the country
10 be the use of money in popular cleo
tons. Another evil he considers 10 be
the dependence of the individual mem
on the good will of a single local con-
stituency. whose control over his politi-
cal future compels him to take the To-
cal rather than the national view of
many public measures, and the impos-
sibility of having any authority in
either house of congress analogous to
the ministry, or the government, or
&c |
called in other countries with repre-
sentative institutions. to stand firmly
and authoritatively for the general
public interest.
The dependence of a congressman
upon a single constituency could be
remedied quite easily if the people de-
sired it; but whether members of an
administration could be given any au-
thority such as ministers in foreign
governments have is very doubtful;
to give them such authority would
necessitate a very radical modification
of our form of government. Mr.. Will
son himself realized this, for at the
close of his grafton he said:
1--WE cannot recast our constitution,
even if disposed to do so, so as to
adopt the methods elsewhere prevail
ing, without a radical change of the
very principles on which it is founded,
and of the political institutions out of
which it naturally sprung. Such rene
dies as may be devised must be worked
out within the existing constitutional
system. Our common and confident re
lance as to such evils is upon the
gradual awakening and masterful
power of public opinion. Evils with us
are apt to get a long start before we
clearly discern them, and even then it
is a tedious and costly thing to awaken
and consolidate public opinion for their
cure or eradication"
Cardinal Gibbons remarks were but
a tribute to the constitution; there was
nothing of criticism, no suggestion of
improving it. He said:
IF I had the privilege of modifying
the constitution of the United States. 1
would not expunge or alter a single
paragraph, a single line, or a single
word of that immortal instrument"
This recalls the remark of Mr.. Glad
stone that the constitution of the
United States is the most perfect work
of its kind that was ever made by men.
It would be easy to change the consti-
tuition; it is doubtful if any change
would improve it.