New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
ROOT ON GOVERNMENT
DODGE LECTURE At YALE.
Defends Campaign Contributions
Den0unces DemagOgueS.


New Haven, May 13.-Elhu Root delivered a
prlil''ht address The Responsibilities of Cit-
%ehshp In opening the annual William Earl Dodge
lecture course at Yale this evening His theme
was The task inherited or assumed by members
! Vi 'he governing body in a democracy" He
viewed the history of self government from its
primitive efforts 10 the present time. declaring that
"I'er long centuries Of struggle for the right of
equdIitF mankind was apparently entering
! upon a struggle for the right of inequality. The
demands of the socialists that property rights be
hmlfed' and the union labor demand that the out
put be restricted, were cited. The future of de-
mocracy, he declared. lay with the sacrifices the
able and educated willing constantly to make
TO conserve the heritage in good government of the
last century.
\ scathng denunciation of the demagogue was
one of the telling features of Secretary Roots
address. He termed national political campaigns
the greatest educational influences in the world
history. and In elaborate defence Of liberal cam
pagn contributions asserted that the sums given
for that purpose in the last campaign were amply
justified by their educational influence upon the
voters.
Secretary Root said, in part:
A large part of mankind still regard govern
gnss as Of f qTe 9 1cb o
necessary 10 enable them TO attend to their bust
ness I95 but only incidental Or TO nj dhTS
ana Gy ana Sa e{ p an ,e threw works
that government is something outside all this real
else with whom they 4 have little little or ' no concern
or other had hi Hired to keep out thieves and keep
the furnace running.
EFFECTS OF GOVERNMENT
In reality cal T is an essential part in
r. act ba 81 all [hs wide range Of o9G s
cess cess comes according 70 capacity and courage;
have been for centuries wilderness and desert be
cause OF bad goyernment not only lands Sapat4e
but lands that have actually done so in the past
with Ignorance and vice. because OF bad govern
ment; while under good government industry and
comfort flourish on the most sterile sou ana u"ueF
The proportional part played by government in
the personal affairs OF Individual life is rap
idly increasing. The crowding and Complicauons,
the inventions and improvements and cooperation
of modern life have enormously increased the de-
pendence Of men upon each other, A century cent? ago
Of the United states were quite independent tn, IN
Compare such life with that Of "a re so ,,S of
The city family is dependent for every article of
food and clothing upon the products of far distant
places These products are supplied through great
and complicated agencies Of transportation and Tor
riety OF distant mills and factories The me, family family
depends upon fuel brought from distant coal nlrs
its light comes from gas and electric plants over
social life are all adjusted to means of communica
ton furnished by great telegraph and telephone
exercises control at all over the things that are
A quarrel between railroad companies and their
employees or the inability OF q railroad company to
most necessary supplies The meat is liable to be
diseased unless some one spfc5s the p1GN ING
family knows. The milk may be fun Of tuheTcu-
some one has tested the cattle and some one has
enforced the sanitary ordinances upon distant
terdependence the Individual Is entirely helpless
ance Of conditions under which he and his family
go living is by combination with others
ton for Whatever control over those conditions IS
necessary That combination and organization Is
government
THEORY AND PRACTICE CHANGED.
The theory and practice of government have vast
cially within the last century and a hall , on
right selected by inheritance ana sappGTtead ~
our modern systems OF popular government the re-
nHa tie ran,eesior ia scIfrepression and tho
9peo. ne tePitssiUIn - i,aI f,rcos ia,er
mining the character OF the directed mass Popular
gacy f6r the s U ds2dopment Of The
The fact that foE more than genitnTy peaceful
have been maintained under popular government |
companied by extraordinary material prosperity |
has f3stered tendenfy toward P9paa5 m
must not deiude ourselves with the idea that the |
American experiment in government is ended, or |
that our task is accomplished Our political system
has proved successful under simple conditions II |
strain OF the vast complication OF life upon which |
entering
Notwithstanding the great change at the top in
VOWED IN the setting aside Of monarchcal and |
substance of the old social system with its respect
for the rights OF private property. has been pre-
upon that system assertion OF the right OF equal
individual opportunity that barrier OF birth
and whatever his ability and Industry and |
courage enttle him to achieve.
The very basis Of that social system is now wide
~ questioned. Socialists In negligible number.
demand a reorganization Of society upon entirely
private property widely favored. and llmita-
tons upon individual opportunity arc sti
workers who believe in putting limit upon the
amount OF work which each workman shall be per
industrious, skilful and ambitious workman shall
be permitted to do no more and to earn no more
than the most dull. idle and Indifferent workman
common benefit OF property and a common stand
ard of eXertion are liable TO be substituted for all
inequalities OF fortune and achievement After
many centuries Of struggle for the right equality
there is some reason TO think that mankind Is now
entering upon struggle for the right OF Inequality
II remains to be seen how democracy will work
under these new conditions.
THE PART OF EDUCATION.
If We turn to education find that instead Of
this being thing apart the education which en- |
the problems I have described-the primary educa-
ton which opens the door Of knowledge to the
mass and the door Of unlimited opportunity to the
exceptional integence-ts almost universally by
government as part OF the political qualification
doubtful whether the higher academic education |
contributes much to capacity for political useful
ness
The greatest most useful educational process |
ever known in the world occurs every four years
In the United States when during a Presidential |
election some 100000 voters engaged for
months in reading ard hearing about great and |
difficult questions of government in studying them.
in considering and discussing and forming natured |
opinion about them. We sometimes hear com |
plants that elections interfere with business and |
come too frequently. On the contrary nothing |
else is so valuable and important for business. be-
cause IT is this educational process that laying
foundation Judgment,