The sun., 1910-01-31
DR.. ADLER WOULD REFORM Us
SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATION
ALL WRONG, HE SAYS.

He'd Have II by Occupa ton. Not by POpu-
latiOn- The Country 10 OVerlaWyer-
Iged TOO-An Absence OF Public spirit
ID One OF the GraveSt symptoms.
There was the noise OF the falling OF
idols in Carnegie Hall yesterday morn
ing. where DIR. Felix Adler spoke to the
Society for Ethical Culture on Our Ideal
Of American Democracy and the Actual
Conditions in American Politics and
Business DIR. Adler said that many
Of our underlying principles were false
that we have not grasped the elemental
facts OF government, and then proceeded
to suggest some remedies.
The first part of DR.. Adler's speech
was based upon the recently collected
lectures OF Ambassador Bryce called
-Hindrances to Good Citizenship" These
lectures. said DR.. Adler. set forth the
proposition that in some respects popular
government has been a failure the world
over because democracy requires higher
civic excellence than monarchy. 1t is a
fallacy to assume that IL a man gets free
dom freedom will create the qualities
that will enable q man rightly to use
it. Although the proportion Of literaoy
in free communities has Increased greatly
the proportion OF thinking to reading
has by no means kept pace. There are
not enough people who reflect on their
vote. and the opportunities for forming
intelligent judgments are small in a
republic. Mr.. Bryce suggests that there
will arise great political thinkers who
will prove the salvation of popular gov
emment. But DIR. Adler did not agree
with this.
The public good is the good OF EACH
said he. $50 accommodated that il will
help along others. II you have. as We
have in this country. many different
groups. the only way to find out what is
for the public good is to assemble these
groups and let representatives OF each
group get up and tell what is for the
best interest OF their own groups. II
you want to know what the laborer is
thinking you must hear the laborer talk,
not have a lawyer talk for him. Our
whole political system is overlawyerized."
Under DIR. Adler's plan the lower house
would consist OF representation by voca-
ton. There would be merchant depu-
ties, farmer deputies. labor deputies.
&c. Under these circumstances women
employed in any business would vote.
And said DR.. Adler, there would be
a mothers representation
He then turned to attack the two
party idea. "Habitual insincerity is bred
by party attitude. Men who belong to
parties have certain intents in mind
not for the public good. A party is an
alien body interpOsed between the people
and their Government. The people. like
Frankenstein. have raised up a creature
that has its own will independent of
theirs. The party chiefs in conclave
have in mind the Dartv'a aucoeaa and
power and not always the public good.
Hence the insincerity OF American poll
tics. And the people know this and have
come to distrust politicians. Insincerity
bred by our political organizations is
the chief defect in American politics.
The problem is 20 get representatives
who represent US and not an alien organi-
zation. who do nOI sinisterly represent
their machine.
He then told the ladies' that men did
not know how to vote intelligently and
that the rushing in To get the suffrage
shows a state OF paradisiacal innocence"
as TO actual conditions.
And the third great evil in our democ-
racy. according to DR.. Adler. Ia the alb
sence OF public spirit. This is due. ne
thinks. to the fact that people have not
been educated up to public spirit and
the prevalent notion that the government
Of a democracy is for the benefit Of the
governed. Too many have come to
think that benefit" means enrichment"
and have used the Government accord
ingly for their own interests.
1Our theory OF government has in
famed selfish interests. But there is
the ethical view of the State. a combina-
ton of the Greek and the modern view.
which holds that a man exists for the
State. just as the State exists for him."
concluded the speaker. We have not
got democracy yet. What has failed us
is a caricature Of democracy. The pur-
pose Of the State is to develop the ma
tional genius-the distinct type that we
see growing up in America. with all the
faults Of youth but with potentiality for
greatness"