Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-18
REACTIONS WHINE

ing seolded by the other kind.
a They are being told they are real
ly Democrats. This is probably not far
from the truth. We have already said
there are some worthy souls in the
United states who believe in Demo-
cratic principles and doctrines, but
would Indignantly deny they are DEM
ocrats. and probably would stultify
themselves by voting a Republican
ticket. These worthless are englamoured
by the fetch of a name.
But we disagree with the non-pro-
gressive Republicans when they accuse
the progressives of being un-American.
Our morning Republican contemporary,
one of the accusers, says: THE crab
wise progressives .. first attack
the senate, which they would elect by
direct vote; then they propose to
change the constitution by convention
called for the purpose, not the method
by which that organic law was adopted
in the first instance. Going backward
not forward 1t is moving counter to
the carefully prepared methods known
for 1870 years as American principles.
1t is going back to Old World history.
In the end 1t is attempting to supplant
constitutional representative govern
ment by mob democracy"
Here we have a striking illustration
of the fact that some Republican writ
ers are falling into the very error in
which The Herald predicted they would
he entrapped If they were not careful.
They are mistaking the first principles
Of Americanism for demagoguery and
mob democracy.
Read history-not school book. skim
milk history, but real history-and you
shall find the opponents of progressive
ness today are using, almost word for
word, the language of the British and
American Tories, the governmental
pamphleteers and stump speakers dur
ing the glorious Revolution.
Critics of the type of our friend con-
Ftantly forget the physical difficulties
of early Jaw making and early constitu-
tion framing. Why, our friend has put
the cart before the horse. 1t was not
because the early statesmen we're
afraid to trust the people that they
took pains to make the constitution
difficult of change 1t was because
they were afraid the people would not
trust them If they did not frame an
instrument indicative of the stability
of the government, and IN response to
popular demands the constitution was
changed 1--WE presume our friend would
call 1t "tinkered'D over and over again.
What is there that is radical in sug-
gcstlon concerning the election of SEN
ators and the direct election of a pres
ident, inasmuch as the present method
OF eiecting the president and vice presi-
dent is NOT THE ORIGINAL CON
METHOD, but is an
AMENDED method; which has been
still further removed from early condi-
tions by the supcrimposition of political
machinery and conventions on the orig
inal structure? Carefully prepared
methods now in use have NOT all been
known for "130 years as American prin-
ciples." Some Of them have. Some of
item have not Our friend is evidently
Apprehension. the Interchangeable truths
underlying our government, with the
original machinery of Americanism,
which is an entirely different matter,
and has been changed over and over
again to suit new conditions and the
spirit Of the times, and, we presume,
will not come to a dead, blockading
stop and remain impasslve, immovable,
merely because our
friend mistakenly ascribes to 1t the
qualities of the laws of the Medes and
Fersians.
We may see MANY changes IN our
constitutional governmental methods,
although there never will be a change
in the original intention of United
States constitutionalism, which is at
all times and under all circumstances
to provide the greatest happiness for
the greatest rumber and to assure sta
bility of govC rnment. But stability Is
not immobility or inaeXibility. Repre-
sents tive government is derived from
the PEOPLE. who are the only source Of
power and who in the declaration of
the governmental independence of the
United States put themselves on rec
ord as to all questions which might be
embraced within the scope of constitu-
tional government, the constitution,
and revision thereof, by saving: ITO
secure certain unalienable rights,
among which are life, liberty and the
pursuit Of happiness, governments are
instituted among men, deriving their
tust powers from the consent of the
governed, and whenever ANY form Of
government becomes destructive OF
these ends, it is the RIGHT Of the peo-
ple to alter or abolish it, and to insu-
tute a new government, laying its
foundation on such principles and or
ganizing it's powers in such form as to
,heln shall seem most likely to eI1ect
their safety and happiness"
Please note the recurrence or the
" ord "HAPPINESS."
CONSOLIDATION