The Advocate and news., 1899-03-22
lo. r. Topeka, KANSAS, MARCH 22, 1899.

vine Leader are quareling over different
theories regarding His Instructions Per
contra, giving up such dissension will have
a direct tendency to promote the fraternal
feeling and sympathy of thought and pur-
pose which will lead to such common or
mutual consideration of the public welfare
as is expressed in the practice of the initia-
tive and referendum.
The truth begins to be realized that vot-
ing to the glory of God on Tuesday is
just as essential as singing to the glory of
God on Sunday. Recognizing the eternal
unity of law and life and truth leads to
that understanding that there are no two
standards of morality, one for earth and the
other for heaven, but the principle is uni
form and continuous. Let us have doctrinal
charity in our worship on Sunday and fra
ternity Of citizenship the rest Of the week.
Further, the people need not wait on the
movements of the representatives for
needed legislation. They can take the in
itiative themselves and propose such meas
ures as in their judgment the public good
requires. A certain number or percentage
Of the voters may demand that these meas
ures be submitted to the people for their
action. In this way self-government or ma
iority rule, which is the nearest practicable
approach to it, becomes the exercise of the
initiative, but no restrictions should be
placed on the right of the people to ratify
or reject.
With this method of expressing, the peo-
pies will once adopted we viii be in a
position to give democracy fair trial. A
really democratic government will then be
possible. II the people are sufficiently in
telligent and moral for self-government it
cannot fail to work well And even If they
blunder seriously and gravely they can
hardly do so badly for themselves as their
present bosses do for them. Besides, the
training and experience will have educative
value. The argument for self-government
is not to be found in immediate but remote
results in the tendency of responsibility
to develop thoughtfulness, fidelity, capabil-
ity. Under direct legislation the powers of
the machine will be broken and the bust
ness of the boss will be ended. Direct leg
islation is not foreign to this country. The
town meeting of New England has always
been conducted on this principle. Every
citizen is at liberty to propose measures
which the majority may accept or reject
II was mistake to substitute the repre-
sentative method for this more direct mode.
With this have come host of evils which
leave imperiled the very existence of the
republic. We must restore to the whole
people that which was wrOngfully taken
from them. Rather, they must retake for
themselves that which they foOlishly sur
rendered. Armed with this, they will then
be in position to secure all other things to
which they have rightful claim.
Hon. George d. Heron, Professor of Ap-
piled Christianity in Iowa College, author
of "The Christian State" "The Christian
Society" etc.:
Unbelief in God is no more fatal to free
dom and progress, to justice and right than
unbelief in the people We can no more
stop the progress of democracy where it
now ia than we can take the race back to
the Garden of Eden. From the idea Of the |
absolute monarchy we have progressed to
,he idea Of representative institutional gov
sTnment. But we have scarcely reached |
The halfway house of political progress.
We shall have to move on to the goal, |
which is the fulfllment Of democracy in !
The direct self-gOvernment of the people.
In a pure democracy the people will be |
heir own legislators, making their laws |
directly, or through an elective and rep
-esentative system that will receive and |
.ffectuste in legislation the actual will of |
he people.
There can be no true democracy with |