The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-24
GUIDING SHIP OF STAT
PRESIDENT ARTHUR II. HADLEY,
OF YALE, DISCUSSES GOVERN
MENT BY PUBLIC OPINION"
TWO FAR VARIANT THEORIES
Self Interest Versus State Socialism
Ably Discussed by the Speaker
TRUSTS and Some of Their
Opponents.

BERKELEY, Cal, March 23-"Char-
ter Day" was celebrated here today, tne
occasion being the thirty-third ami
versary of the founding of the Uni
versity of California The faculty, Ill
caps and gowns, assembled at 1879 a.
m. and marched across the college
campus to the gymnasium, where the
exercises were held.
The Grafton was delivered by President
Arthur Hadley, OF Yale. whose subject
was Government by Public Opinion.
President Hadley said in part:
PRESIDENT, HADLEY'S ADDRESS.
There are two theories of democratic
government; the individualistlc, which
relies ON the self-interest of the various
citizens acting Independently. and the
SocialiStic which relies mainly on Ine
votes of these citizens as body. Neither
has proved wholly satisfactory.
With regard to the sindlvlduaiistic the
DRY, this is now generally ADMITTED.
us but it will not 90 everything; IL Is
a powerful stimulant to good, D.
neither in economies nor IN morals Is ~
that panaeea for social Ills which SO
many persons two generations ago
thought it to be. Free competition was
far better than the old systems OF c-ass
legislation which it superseded. But we
cannot have free competition every
where: nor is it certain that In thoSe
cases where we can nave 1t IL produces
so great a degree of justice as was once
supposed. ,,
Under these circumstances the soclal-
lists and many who are not SocldiSts,
demand that these evils be conlroneo ny
the use of the machinery or goVerhiheAt.
But the power to use this machinery III
the public interest is IN some respec:S
more apparent than real. A oeIii 39ai ally
government is subject to special OHIO
t tles c so force behind it which is
felt in a monarchy or an arlstOcracy.
what is everybodys business is hooouy =
business: and laws which were paSseu
with enthusiasm often go unenIorced. ~
lacks continuity of policy ana tenaclly
of purposes This d1fhseulty Is sIem With
that of a country like Russia. II lacks
self-restraint in the use OF the Jaw
making power. 1t devices us S.a oeten
are in nothing but evasion ana lncoh-
Venience.
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
Nor is it always desirable that they
should end otherwise: A statue paSS rat
by a majority, and in the race od a +ha
will of the people. The constitution OF
the United States, far from sanctlollls
unlimited rights of the majority agalnst
minority, is hlled from +b nes sX ,iel of
such MISREPRESENTATION devised IN the
interest of personal liberty me constr
tuition indeed, provides for electlonS 70
decide who shall govern us, put II ao se
not encourage the intrusion or the oile
Gals thus elected into those heldS OF
legislation where class and personal III
terests are arrayed one against the
other.
SeIf-interest being an inadequate sup
port for political and moral order ano
oVerlegislation an evil worse IMAM tidt
which it undertakes to cure, we must
90 hack to the true principles OF sell
Cover nment-government based on public
sentiment This is a phrase Wh1ch Is
often used, but generally mlsunderstooa:
Whenever a large number of people want
a thing we hear it said that there Is
public sentiment in it's favor. rms is
not necessarily true. Even the tact that
a majority may be willing to vote Tor a
measure does not prove that 1t has this
basis The desire may be simply the
outcome of widespread personal interest.
Much though not all, of the cp1eetlon
to trusts is based on the fact that the
critics do not own thsn-that they md
themselves at the wrong end OF certain
transactions instead Of at the right end.
If a man really believes that a trust iS
a bad thing, and would refuse to eoun- :
tenance it's pursuits If he were their
beneficiary, he can call MS opposltlonl 70
them by the. honorable title OF punll PUBLIC
of the actual reform in trust abuses mas
been thus made f1om inside, by the self
respect of their owners But II the critic,
is doing on a small scale what the trust
is practicing on a large scale-making
every effort to sell his goods at as high
prices as possible, and not being over
scrupulous as to the means by which
this is brought about-ilis words count for
nothing. No matter how many thousands
Of men there may be in this position,
their aggregate work is not likely to
reach farther than the passage OF Ger
tain amount of class legislation. 1t can
not be too often repeated that those
opinions which a man is prepared to
maintain at another's cost, but not at his
g. L. 11y,~r H.
eral sentiment of the community.
NOT ALWAYS SELF-INTEREST
Some meralists would deny the posi-
bility of the existence Of any public opin-
ion Independent Of selfshness. But they
have the facts of history against them
kind is SO strong that people are led I'M
der it's operation to do things which are
against their own personal convenience,
and even against their own interest, In
order to subserve the needs of the COM
munity. Public sentiment is the name
given to the feeling which gives effect to
these virtues Of patriotism and public de-
votion. It is because it exists that we
have remained thus far free people. It
must and will develop as our problems
develop. The man who says that it can
not be done Is inviting political suicide.
Of the power of such sentiment, when
once aroused, there can be no question
The recent hazfng investigations at%Wesr
Point show how much stronger is an un-.
than are all the laws passed by congress.
But can it be thus aroused to do any
large portion of the work which we now
demand of government? It may be
frankly admitted that 1t will not do al
those things for which numbers Of peg
pie now desire legislation. This how
ever, is merit rather than a fault for
If we once recognize that public opinion
was the source Of authority, we should
cease to try to impose prohibition IN
cases where it does not prohibit, or to
pass corporation laws which do not reg
Understanding everything and enforc-
ing nothing. Even in times gone by tho
efficiency of a railroad law has depended
Tar more upon the public understanding
Of the situation than upon the actual let
ter OF the duties imposed. II this has
been the case in the past, when tire de-
velopment Of public opinion has been
treated as mere accident, much more
may we expect it to prove true II our
CITIZENS are brought to see that the force
behind the law is more important than
the law itself. If our people can accent
cheerfully the burdens imposed in the
duties OF private life, there is no inner
ent reason why they should fail 20 ac-
cept the trusts Of public life That thew
are now inclined to make light of their
opngaIions to others is not due to any
| capacity Tor taking such obligations Sc.
riously; 1t Is due to the fact that thew
nave been taught to regard business ana
ponies as games, with no obligationa
| pTCIOunder than the rfIleS eod We o,,.n-