The herald., 1898-07-13
A NEW NATION

Within the last few months a new ma
tion was born at the Antipodes. The peo-
pie of Australia are no longer group of
disjointed colonies, but union of fed
Grated states. under general government
end common constitution. The new
nation will be known as the Common
wealth of Australia. Not long ago rep
resentatives from the colonies of New
South Wales, Victoria. Tasmania, South
Australia and West Australia met in con-
vention ct Melbourne and adopted con-
stitution, which has since been ratified by
be acceptable to all of them. This con-
stitution was very carefully framed, and
embodies the best political thought of
wide-awake, progressive people. While
the commonwealth Of Australia" for
which the constitution provides the gov
ernmental machinery, is not an independ
ent republic, its organic law is fashioned
80 nearly along the structural lines Of
our own national government as to be to
all intents and purposes a government
Of and by and for the people. And
In this, the newborn commonwealth of
their kith and kin at the antipodes, has
peculiar interests for the American peo
pie. 1t is pleasantly reassuring to find
the highly. intelligent and conservative
people Of Australia-to whose political
sagacity and fine common sense, by the
way, we are indebted for the best sys-
tenn Of voting by ballot yet devised-meet-
ing In convention at the close of. the nine
teenth century, with the light of the ex-
perience Of all the nations. including that
OF the mother-land of England, before
them, and adopting a federal constitu-
tion that in all. its salient and essential
elements is, almost in haec verba, identical
with the constitution of the United States.
This fact should arrest the attention and
challenge the serious thought of many
worthy people who are disposed to in
dulge in morbid fancies and Cassandriac
prophecies, touching the grasp, elasticity
and endurance Of American democratic
institutions.
In fact, our antipodean cousins have
improved upon the American govern
mental system. For instance, the proposed
constitution provides. for. the election of
senators by popular vote, instead Of by
the legislatures of the several states. 1t
Is said that recent experience in the
United States had much influence in the
Melbourne convention in securing the
adoption of this eminently wise provision.
Mr.. John w. Russell, in the North Amer
lean Review (July) writes pertinently
touching this element of the matter. He
says:
The corrupt methods by which an I'M
due number of rich men have become
senators, the tedious and bitter contests
In certain cases, the especial despotism
of the "boss,' the gerrymandertng of
senatorial and representative districts
by state legislatures, all these
abuses have been set forth not with
out benefit to those who wished to avert
similar evils in Australia.
Apropos of this, there is every reason
to believe that. but, for the questions and
excitements incident to the present war
and that more or less absorbed the at
tention Of the late congress, the resolu-
IlOuS III ldVOI VI lLeH cleCtlOu VI ScudlOTS
by: popular. VOTE. passed, by the, house of
representatives a few weeks ago, would
have received the favorable attention of
the senate before the adjournment Of that
body. Sooner or later the desire Of the
American people in this behalf will be
gratified. In the meantime, it is as in
teresting asi it; iss significant to find in the
action of Australian statesmen in this
grand work Of nation building unmis-
taxable evidence Of their appreciation of
American republican institutions. And
It can but be gratifying to Californians
who have long advocated the election of
United States senators by the direct vote
of the people to learn that the latest born
lot nations fashioned by enlightened
statesmen, had Incorporated into it's or
ganic law a principle of the same demo-
cratic scope and tenor-thus proving, in
mo small degree, that Times noblest off
spring is the last
~ n. n ~
y DIsCORD IN TIE RANHs