The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-08
TENURE OF OFFICE

The. tenure Of Office is of sufficient dura-
ton for -5udicious act on on the part Of
otficeholders, and not so long as to de-
Rrlve the people of the opportunity Of
patton are, going wrong. If all is right
the people have been able to see for them,
selves, and may reward Their minister's
with reelection
office, and the independence of officials
during that tenure guard the people
against the evils Of their own fckfeness
and instability. The ,dictum Of De Toe
Democracy is to be a fact. that 9th la
majority obey humanity, Justice and rea-
son sol But the dictum is true only when
calm and thoughtful reflection; swayed
the majority may be by sudden excite
mg T 6 6n rr,a passion and against such
Well ordered democracy, as is done in
the American. republic.
Yet more. effective ballast IS given to
the amendment of the constitution. The
constitution Is her sailing chart, which
only IN rSarest occasion and after most
change In It is permitted by its own
organic articles only in such conditions
that serious thought must needs precede
all action. and that, whenever there is
action, 1t must be the clear result of an
overwhelming majority Of the citizenship
Of the country; and in this manner there
Is established In American political life
dom, SO necessary FOR the stability Bnit and md
perpetuity Of great nation. In Great
Britain, with all its conservatism, an
act Of parliament signed by the sovereign
changes the unwritten constitution of the
country. There, too, the one branch Of
government, the legislative, is practical
" the whole government-instead Of
istration divided between itself and the
sovereign. Parliament controls the min
listers of state, imposes upon them It's
policy, compels their resignation of Of
In our sister republic of France the
senate and the chambers are really the
entire government. The executive has
creatures of the legislative assemblies,
at whose will they are put out Of office,
a whole change Of ministry occurring
AS the members of those assemblies are
elected for long terms, they can afford
to override public opinion, and they be-
come autocratic as ever was an ire
sponsible monarchy.
Neither in Great Britain nor In France
Is there tribunal like our supreme
courtmrising ab2y9 other fSe, BRANCHES Of
name Of the country's Magma Charta.
Perhaps the most noteworthy achieve
ment of the convention Of 1867 was the
most potent and significant tribunal In
the world, Independent Of president and
of congress, Independent of the people,
as truth and Justice must be Independent,
the sworn custodian Of the constitution
of the republic, and, consequently, of the
life itself of the republic, and Of the lib
critics of the people.
WISE PROVISION.
And thus so wisely did our fathers
build so providentiaily were they coun-
seled by the Almighty that they have
given us form Of government respect
full of the sovereignty of the people as
none other, and, withal, strong in the
maintenance Of national unity and So
cial honor, potent In the protection Of
rights of individual citizens and the de-
tense of national honor, vowed to justice
and truth, as are few Of the governments
of the most conservative nations upon
earth. This, the American republic.
The American republic! Time, the I'M
challenged test of value, has made pro-
nouncement upon her. She has seen q
century Of years; how noble today her
mien, how majestic her onward march!
Many were the predictions made at her
entrance into life that she was doomed
to speedy failure that she could not pos
sibly last. She has lasted; with years she
has waxed stronger, shofe with more re-
splendent beauty, given forth richer
spread her influence. over broader terri
tory. Behold her--the envied, the ad-