The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-02-11
PROF. S. Y. GlLLAN'S LECTURE.

In d lecture on the Latest Sudptele
in the Story of Popular Government"
given by Prof. S. Y. Gillian, editor of
the Western Teacher at the South Side
High School last Friday evening, he de-
clared that our government was not
popular government and that the fran
ers of the L. s. constitution had formed
a government just rs far from popular
government, as they dared and yet have
it adopted He said, There are in the
U. S. 400, 900 federal Office holders, yet
of that number only 400 are elected by
the people, while the rest are appoint
ed. OF the state government, he SAID,
1--WE find only six, that can be said to
have representative government, and
am sorry to say that Wisconsin is not
one of them, although it is on the right
road to coming back to the old times,
when government of the people, by
the people, and for the people did exist,
as was the case in New England years
ago, its town meetings being in my es-
tu6 HlOSt cACcilCht rSbooi
of political training in the world"
He lauded the Initiative the referen'
dunn, and the recall rs measures that
would be instrumental in again bring
ing this government back to the time OF
a popular government, of, by, and for
the people instead of as is the case in
SO many instances at present, govern
ment by the bosses and for the corpora
tions. The initiative is a measure which
allows the people by petition to ask for
certain legislation, thus avoiding the
necessity Of waiting for proposed legis-
lation coming from the Legislature, the
referendum is law that allows a GER
tain per cent. of the voters, to refer
law passed by the legislature, to vote
of the people at the next election, the
new law remaining imperative until
such ratification. and the recall pro.
vides for the recall of Legislators who do
not properly represent their consl-
tuents. Our government at present, he
said, is faulty because laws can be
changed but once every year, and that
if bad law had been placed on The
statute books it could not be repealed
before the expiration of two years. He
then cited instances to show many cases
of corrupt legislation, especially of Ohio
cities, being possible without the above
named laws and the excellent working
and the impossibili.y of corruption as
proven by certain cases in Grand Rapids,
, .........;saE, -. where such measures were in
operation. New Zealand and Switzer
land were held up rs the best governed
countries in the world on account of
their governments being the nearest
approach to popular government
While not referring to the present sena-
torial situation in our state, he said that
the election of U. S. senator's by the peo-
pie was near at hand and that Oregon
had the best solution for the problem at
present, the people ut the regular elec-
tion indicating their choice and the leg
islature merely confirming the same.
Yes, in this matter Oregon was declared
to be far ahead of Wisconsin, where the
primary law is still very crude affair
and it is possible for the successful
candidate to have the endorsement of
less than majority of the votes.
He endorsed popular rights as against
privileged intrenchments and said that
you can kill men, but not ideas, and
that in the end Right and Justice will
triumph.
Mr.. Gillian also too. part in the pro.
gram given under the auspices of the
city section the next day.
A meeting of the county graded school
section was held Saturday afternoon
at the Courthouse W. G. E.