The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-30
RECTOR's HOT
SHOT FOR
COLBY

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servant and representative. And at the
critical moment they believe, without i'm
pugning his motives, that he failed them,
that he misrepresented them, that he
Joined their enemies to smite and
humiliate them. This feeling is not con-
fined to one class. 1t is found in all classes.
And naturally the movement that goes
by his name falls with him. D~isorganized,
scattered. with no leader and no centre to
rally to, dispirited by two defeats, and sick
at heart with the feeling that public con-
hdenee and support are gone, without the
heroic inspiration of battling against its
oVp and Its country's foes, but demeaned-
by the concentration OF all its ebbing ener-
giles to save its own skin, the Colby move
ment was a pathetic spectacle to those
who had r~ejoiced at the generous and
p~uissant spirit of those first great days.
not yet three years ago!
"Facilis Descensus Averni."
And why was it that Mr.. Colby failed?
He was an honorable gentleman, patriotic,
and not inexperienced in public affairs and
in the Vaccinations Of corporations and
their lackeys, the politicians. Why, then,
was he so soon and so easily discounted
1t was because he did not understand, and
does not today, his duty to his -constitu-
ents and his true relation to them. He is
their representative, their agent, their
servant. He is sent to Trenton to do their
will, not has own. He supposed that he
was sentato Trenton to do what his judg-
ment and conscience prompted him to do
for his constituency and for the State.
He was to do something for the people,
and that something was for him to decide.
And when these two contrary theories
clashed, and when his constituents called
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what he could not personally approve Of.
he bravcly and unjustly chose his way and
defied the people whose agent and servant
he was. He acted conscientiously, he said.
But If a man accepts employment under
me is he justified in declining to carry out
my orders and acting in direct opposition
to them, because his conscience will not
let him do as | tell him to, do?
Never. As long as he is my agent. he
must take orders from me. And If his con-
science will not permit him to carry out
my orders, then he should reign and not
retain the power and prestige Of his posi-
ton to check and thwart and humiIiate
lac. The political representative is 10 serve
the people, but in the way the people wish
to be served. His conscience ought to
prompt him 10 obey his master and en-
ployer, and not to defy him.
Il was much censured over A year aeo
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for saying In a newspaper interview that
If Mr.. Coiby's conscience would not allow
him to carry out the wishes of his con-
stituency, he ought to resign. Yet that is
but an elementary proposition in political
ethics; or ought to be. 1t may well be-
that Mr.. Colby is wiser and more virtuous
than the people. But that is not the
point. The point is that while he repre-
sents Essex County he ought not to mis-
represent the people of Essex County. Mr..
Colby knew as well when he supported the
Bishops bill as he did when a few weeks
ago he, in extremis, proposed his belated
plan of local option, what his constituents
wished. They will never forgive his re-
bellion and disobedience then; and they
ought not. He turned his back on the
people and listened to a handful of min
listers. Now let them look after him.
Conscientious and honorable opposition
to the will OF the people on the part of a
representative Of the people is an anoma-
lous and impossible situation. It naturally
evokes the hostility of the people, and
being conscientious and honorable, it can
not employ devious tactics to overcome
hat hostility. 1t cannot lie; nor buy edi-
tors. nor cajols preachers, nor silence OPP
position leaders. Its antagonism to the
popular will stands out bald, unrelieved,
irritating, and therefore is doomed. :
For in these days, you must depend on
the people or on the money power. But
with both against you your case is hope
less. What can You accomplish with both
There is no place IN our politics for a