The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-04-05

ture byJsvoting his sincere convictions
ON public question in courteous, but
unshakable opposition to the prevailing
opinion among his constituents.
| One need not agree with Senator
johnson in, thinking . the appropriation
for semi centennial exposition wrong
to commend his courage in voting
against it. 1t was enough for him
that he believed it wrong. 1t, should be
enough for all who conceive the duty oil
a legislator to be imposed upon him by
his own judgment, not by the voice OF
the people he represents alone. a rep
resentative, should listen to his constitu
ents, as Johnson did, but he should
make his own belief the final rule OF
action. t,-
The lackey type OF, lawmaker Is too
common in American, legislatures. Ihe
cities send spaniels who fawn Oh wealth
and business influence, and abdicate
such small intelligence and timid juds
ment as they have to take orders from
selfish private interests. The country
sends men of more mental power, but
less self confidence, who vote against
their honest convictions to satisfy real
or imaginary public opinion at home.
How many senators and representa-
tives have said in private of one meas.
ure or another since this spasm of leg
islativc epilepsy began in January, Il
know this bill is absurd"-or Il know
this bill will hurt those it is igalorantly
contrived to help; but what can do?
Nv. constituents want it." How often
has plain exposition of the futility OF
harmfulness OF proposed legislation been
met by members with entire intellectual
assent, followed by the parrot iteration,
But We were sent here to pass these
bills" and logged vote against con-.
science and reason.
scared statesmen what they can do, and
we mistake ChisagO county If it do not
honor and reward him for his courage
and sincerity, as the legislative lackeys
and spaniels are despised by those they
fawn on and obey. The spirit he has
shown is that which appeals most sure
ly and directly to the American people.
1t rouses the silent majority, who bear
down the noisy clacque to declare the
larger public opinion of the whole peo-
pie in serious emergencies.
We have delayed too long to recall
the most brilliant example of legisla-
tive INDEPENDENCE in the whole history
of representative government Senator
johnson, may be proud to have trodden
in the footsteps of Edmund Burke, the
friend of America and mankind, whose
writings remain the most high and per-
feet Institutes of practical statesman
ship in the English language. In that
famous address to the electors of Bris-
toll, who had rebuked him for disobey-
ing their instructions, Burke said:
1t ought to be the happiness and
glory of representative to live Ill the
strictest union, the closest correspond
ence, and the most unreseryed COM
munication with his constituents. Their
wishes ought to have great weight with
him; their opinions high respect; their
business unremitted attention.
But his unbiased opinion, his mature
Judgment, his enlightened conscience, he
ought not to sacrifice to you, to any
man, or to any set of men living. These
he does not derive from your pleasure
no, nor from the law and the constitu-
ton. They are trust from providence,
for the abuse of which he is deeply an
swerable Your representative owes you
not his industry alone, but his judg-
ment; and he betrays, instead of serv-
ing you, if he sacrifices it to your
opinion" .-:
If this lofty conception of the duty of
representative shall ever die out
wholly in American public life, repre-
sentative government will be sorry
farce and despotism and anarchy will
Join i'm death struggle for mastery.