Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-08-04
Winch Hold Two Evils.

respect to the weighty matters discussed
therein. Further deliberation is there
fore suggested before a conclusive
policy is determined upon.
In the editorial referred to the Sun
describes with great moderation how the
heavy hand of executive power was
recently laid upon a great political
party, which was thereby forced to sur
render its freedom of action and to &C
cept a candidate designated by the in
cumbent president to be his own sue
cessor.
From the unexampled presidential
persuasion, intimidation and coercion
which attended this result, the Sun de-
duces the existence of mild but eph-
emeral crisis, which can be sufficiently
repudiated by means of brief editorial
dissent.
From the same premises, but from
another point of view, it would be per-
fectly consistent to argue that if the
people confirm at the polls the proceed
ings of the Chicago convention, which
so far as the nomination for president
was concerned were conducted under
frank and undisguised presidential
duress, they will establish menacing
precedent which in scope and effect will
work an immediate transformation in
our political system, and which iE re-
mote consequences may lead to the COM
plete overthrow of free government as
established under the constitution.
In considering the various aspects of
these transactions it must be remem-
| bered that the great danger of a per-
nicious precedent arises from forces
/ witch are inherent in human nature it.
self. One precedent creates another,
! and as Junius said an accumulation of
| presidents constitutes law. Examples
are relied upon to justify the most dan
gerous and questionable practices
| What yesterday was simple fact today
is doctrine and tomorrow is part of
| political system, wrought thereinto by
the simple but effective process of un-
| challenged current events.
What President Roosevelt is doing to-
day to subject convention Mr.. Taft, if
elected president will do tomorrow, and
thereafter presidents of all parties,
under the pressure of established pre-
cedent, must do for all time to come, to
the utter destruction of self restraint or
even decency in the conduct of our
political discussions.
Bismarck argued, in substance that
as cause and effect in politics rarely lie
close together it is always difficult, and
most often quite impossible to attract
quences of policies and actions which
show themselves in full force as i'm
portant factors of government only
after lapse of considerable time. To
preserve institutions is frequently more
difficult than to create them.
The state of the Union, however,
under the pressure OF this new theory
of executive prerogative. seems to pre-
sent portentous issue we'll calculated
to warm the fancy of the most careless
and to attract the attention of the most
Indifferent observer. In the presence
of such elementary peril all other causes
of political difference, however import
ant in themselves as indicating party
tendencies, may well be regarded as
matters of expediency, and as such rele-
gated for the time being to a secondary
position.
The essential part of the inquiry re-
ferred to in the opening paragraph of
this letter, specifically quoted, is as fol-
| lows:
Yet who shall say it follows that be-
cause the process at Chicago was detest-
able, while that at Denver was admira-
BILE in its American simplicity and sim
cerity, the product of Denver has the
better claim TO the confidence of the
independent and patriotic voter?
To which is believed a conclusive
reply may be made to the effect that the
| collective intelligence of free nation,
when left to its own spontaneous action,
responds quickly to the moulding of
demonstrated facts, with the result that
serious errors of eSpediency or policy
are promptly corrected in the light of
actual experience This is the most
notable popularity of enlarged and un-
restrained personal liberty, which so
long as the elements of spontaneity is
maintained in the electorate insures the
perpetuity of democratic government
As it is admitted that MIR. Bryan's nomi
nation was lin every sense legitimate"
his election would not only subserve the
true purposes of our constitutional sys-
tenn but it would also safeguard the ele-
mentary principles that are menaced
by the "detestablem process at Chicago
by which Sir. Taft was placed iu nom
| ination.
To cleo. Mr. Taft under the auspices
which have brought him into candi-
dacy would in effect endow the Presi-
dent, by reclamation, so to speak. with
Tue far reaching prerogative of nomin-
ating his own successor; power which
would create further possibilities will
calculate to arouse the solieitude of all
/ patriotic citizens
The foregoing brief argument may be
further generalized as follows: While
experience has shown that the errors or
! the supposed errors of free electorate
are readily and effectually corrected by
subsequent action at the polls, all
history testities to the fact that execu-
tive power once enlarged, either with
or without popular approval, never has
been cartaiIed without the effusion of
blood.
Assuming the correctness of these
views, can there be any doubt that the
4 ,,r,,l,os ~ n..nxa, has a hcstar- claim, IN