The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-07-01

States senators is evidence that the
democratic idea is larger than the
membership of any party. 1 can rem
ember cry well when the resolution
submitting the necessary constitution
al amendment passed the national
tude," 1.-THE influence of the mob" etc.
| time. A humber of democratic sena-
tors were fearful of the effects OF the
change; it was a new departure and
they were very conservative, but time
has either convinced them or forced
them to keep silent, and the same il
fuence is at work converting republi-
can leaders Oh silencing them. The
popular election of senators by the PEG
pie was endorsed by the democratic
national convention of 1900 and by
the democratic national convention of
1904. While the committee on resolu-
tons spent sixteen hours on the 1904
platform, this was one question upon
which there was no division of senti-
ment. Today a man can hardly claim
to be democratic in his ideas and yet
oppose the popular election of United
States senator's.
There is a question however, upon
which there is at present a division of
oponion among democrats, namely
the initiative and the referendum, or
as the system is sometims called, di-
rect legislation. These terms are us
ed to describe the system which gives
to the people a larger control I'VE
their own affairs by permitting them
mitted to them. This reform will not
abolish representatives but it will en-
able voters to coerce the representa-
tives into obedience to the popular
will. AS the subject is better under
stood, its harmony with democracy
will become more and more apparent
and 1 have no doubt that the time will
come wnen the people will understand
the subject of direct legislation as
we'll as they do the popular election
of senators, and then it will be as
difficult for a democrat to oppose the
former as it now is to oppose the lat
ter.
While the application of the doctrine
of direct legislation was naturally
made to the city first n to the state
afterwards, the principle applies just
as we'll to the national government
as to governments covering smaller
reas. The question is, snal the peo-
pie rule? And that question is as vi
tai in the government OF the nation
as in the government of a state a o u
ty, or a city. OF course in the nation
the equal position of the states must
be respected and it is absurd to talk
of the small states being overwhelm-
ed by a popular vote for those who ia
vor the application of the initiative
and referendum to national questions
favor it with the understanding that
the people of a majority of all the
states as well as a majority of the
people must concur.
One who believes in the right of the
people to rule and in the capacity of
the people for self government natur-
ally accepts the fundamental demo
cratic doctrine of local self govern
ment-that is that the people can gov
ern best where they best understand
conditions. The democrat believes
that the individual should be left to
choose his own course except where
his action would injuriously affect 9th
ers, that each community should at
tend to its own matters, that the
state should have central of state af-
fairs and that federal government
be supreme in its sphere.
If a man is really democratic in
sentiment, that its, if he really be
lieves in the rule of the people, this
belief dominates him IA the considera-
ton of all the questions from the stan
dpoint of a few. His conception of
is that it is built from the bot
tom, not from the top. While the arts
pictures prosperity as dripping
to the masses from the well-to-
do, the democrat cannot imagine a
prosperity that does not begin with
the producers of wealth.
The democrat believes in applying
doctrine to every question
There are those who are constantly
democratic, and hen there are those
who are democratic in spots; there
are those who apply democratic prin-
Il all questions, and there are
others who apply democratic princf-
pies to some questions. 1t ought to
be the purpose of those who engage
educational works to enlarge the
of question to which demo
cratic principles are applied. 1t is
hardly worth while to waste time on
who is really aristocratic in senti
nent. 1t is impossible to make a
democrat out of him until he has a
of heart but it is possible to
a real democrat that he has fail
ID to apply democratic principles to a
particular question. In 1896 a number
If persons left our party who called
themselves democrats. Some of them
we're a~ristocratic in sentiment. and
heir departure was perfectly natural. {