The times., 1898-12-04
SUNDAY. DECEMBER 4, 1888.
The American Republic.

fhe opposition OF Carl Schurz, Senator
Hear. Senator Hale. and their like, to the
American administration of the Philip
pines Is regarded by Prof. Giddings, of
Columbia University. as n virtual denial
of the success of American institutions,
tie fundamental principle of which is
pspular suffrage There is a small class of
un-American citizens who exaggerate the
disadvantages of popular rule and shut
their eyes to its surprising benefits. In
telligent observers are under no delusions
about some of the immediate practical ef-
fects Of self government by the people,
but they are confident that, in spite of
these. the American people govern them
selves very much better than a select
body of cultured men could do it. Popu-
lar institutions are not an accident,
trough it was clearly not the intention OF
the fathers to found a democracy. They
are the product of an evolutionary proc
css and have stable foundations. We
have them, not merely, as Lowell said,
because it is better ignorant men should
have Il ballot in their hands than a sense
of wrong in their hearts,Sut because ex-
peTience has shown that the masses of
men in this country are not as ignorant
of their own needs as many persons think
not as ignorant as the wisest king or
wisest small group of men. The people
may not carry out anybody's ideal, but in
the long run, the government they impose
is best suited to the needs of the greater
number and to the working out of the
highest destiny.
\ majority of the people of this coun-
OF crazy ideas of administration and leg
islation than many men of collegiate
training who turn 20 politics from sense
of duty 10 the masses. They are conserva-
tive TO a degree that surprises and angers
the reformer There have been men of
GLIB tongues and impressive presence who
have advocated some of the widest
schemes that ever came out of Bedlam,
but they have never been able to allure
any important number of common people
into following them. They have made
appeals to the self-interest of the masses
and made plausible arguments beyond the
power of the common man to refute, but
he has known instinctively that it would
ods in our public schools and the tre-
mendous waste of time and effort on
fruitless studies, most of our people have
acquired something of value in their mu-
tual contact as children and have grown
up with a measure of common sense that
saves them from becoming the dupes of
Missionaries or demagogues- Hardly as
much can always be said of our cultured
classes The conclusion of Mr.. Gladstone
seems to be warranted by experience,
ihat, in matters of government, the
masses are better guides than the classes;
and he compares the Commons with the
House Of Lords. 10 the disadvantage of
the latter, whose members are supposed
to be specially trained and exceptionally
qualified.
out of popular sufrage-at time when
there has been an inpouring of aliens is-
noSsut of the character and purposes OF
our political institutions, and who have
been favored with the ballot under the
period prescribed by our naturalization
laws-has grown the Republic of today.
Its principles were the contribution of the
founders as the result Of experience. but