The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-08
VAN HOIST ON CONGRESSIONAL
GOVERNMENT.

DR.. Won Hoist, head professor of his
tory in Chicago university. has just re-
turned to that institution after a year
absence in Europe. His first lecture
since his return to the students of that
institution was delivered last Monday.
He devoted a good part of it to the
house of representatives, and it seems.
from what the Chicago papers say,
that he was rather severe upon it, even
going so far as to assert that it was a
menace to free government. Among
other things he said:
Congressional government is a gov
eminent of committees, which means
that there is no government at all.
When discussion ceases g. democratic
government is doomed.
The discovery, if discovery it be. that
congressional government is govern
ment of committees, belongs to Wood
row Wilson, who makes out very
fair case for the view he takes. 1t IS
true that without the sanction OF the
various congressional committees It Is
almost impossible to procure any iegis-
lation. Not only is this true OF con-
gress but it is equally true of the state
legislatures. It should be called COM
mittee legislation rather than commit
tee government. In the broad sense
that legislation is law making and that
the country is governed by laws there
may be some warrant for speaking OF
committee government; still to so speak
is more license than anything else.
There is no question that when discus
sion ceases democratic government is
doomed, but to bring about this state
of affairs where democratic government
is doomed discussion must not only
cease but cease beyond the possibility
of revival. 1t may cease temporarily,
for a considerable time in fact, and
democratic government not only be not
doomed but not even threatened. The
discussion must not only cease in legis-
lative halls, state and national, but it
must cease outside of them. among the
people.
The professors criticism was I'M
doubtedly ELECTED because of the very
arbitrary manner in which the Dingiey
bill was rushed through the house
without affording the minority any OPP
portunity to discuss it. And the man
ner in which the bill was rushed
through, damned through, warrants
the severe criticism upon the house of
representatives mady by DR.. Won Hoist
Because we have majority government
in this country is no guarantee that the
majority will never become tyrannical
A majority can be tyfannical as we'll
Nj c e M
portant fact very liable to be over
looked. The distinguished professor
said Speaker Reed was car, pure
and simple. That will CRATE harshly
on the ears of many because it was said
by a professor of history in leading
university, yet there is but too much
truth in ii. And what has made
Speaker Reed ezar? The tyranny of
the majority. True he is only a car
temporarily.
The author of the Constitutional
History OF the United States appears
to have taken a rather dark and pes
simistic view of the government, but
he added saving clause when he said
that what saved the country from go
ing to perdition was the good sense Of
the American people. He further said,
as evidence of this same good sense,
that he thought the world offered no
parallel to the campaign last fall for
intelligent discussion. This is but
recognition Of what Bryce calls the
great reserve fund of patriotism of the
American people. Not only are the
American people conscious of their
strength to cure any abuses to ward
off any dangers that may threaten, but
the system of government they pro-
vided for themselves affords them a
ready means of curing the abuses, of
avoiding any threatened dangers. There
is only danger when they doubt them
selves. This they do not do.