Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-08-23
USE OF DIRECT NOMINA TONS
Good for Small Communities Only,
Says Schufman.

ROCHESTER,, Aug. President
Jacob Gould Schurman of Cornell
university addressed the grangers of
five counties at Silver Lake Assembly
this afternoon, speaking to about
5000 persons. 1t was union picnic
of the grangers of Allegheny, Cattar-
gus, Genesee, Livingston and Wyom-
ing counties, together With the an
nual outing of the Baptist, Methodist
and Presbyterian Sunday schools Of
Wyoming county.
Mr.. Schurman spoke first of the
direct government of the Greeks and
Romans, which he said sled in Greece
to destruction and in Rome to des-
potiSm. The salvation of both might
have been found in question of rep
resentatiye government"
He passed then to discussing the
agitation for direct government in the
United States raised by Jealous and
enthusiastic agitators ignorant alike
of the theory of government and the
teachings of history and selfish and
dangerous lCodg III oily
change that will throw power into
their own hands"
Mr.. Schurman continued:
The history of the republics of the
ancient world demonstrates conclus-
lively that government by the people
directly, legislation and administra-
tion by the people themselves land
not by representatives elected by the
people,) is the sure way to despotism
and destruction. The safety of our
country lies in its representative in
stitutions. The reason why the peo-
Pile can't take the place of their own
representatives in legislation and ad
ministration is that there are far too
many people to act and far too many
and too complicated affairs for this
multitudinous population to attend to.
In America, as in Rome, the end
would be a paralysis of public bust
ness from which the demagogue
would emerge dictator or despot.
The sure way to breed Caesar or
Napoleon on American soil is to abro-
gate the American system of repre-
sentative government.
Mr.. Schurman said the Oregon eX-
pertinent was failure because next
fall the voters will be called upon TO
vote on thirty-two measures which
only A parliamentary assembly has
time and opportunity to dispose of.
Direct government by the people is
possible only for localities in which
the people are not too numerous to
come together The town meeting is
not too numerous TO come together.
The town meeting is the natural or
gan of such direct popular govern
ment When other localities are con-
cerned, and especially when the state
as a whole is involved, direct govern
ment is impossible; government by
delegates or representatives
then becomes absolutely indispens-
able.
What is true of the people of the
state as a whole is true of that large
portion or moiety of them which
forms a political party. The party
business of town or village or dis |
trio of modern size may be transacted |
directly by the local members Of the |
party, and they may also make direct !
for local offices. But |
when the party business or the party |
concern the state as a |
whole the matter must be referred to
, general assembly or convention COM
posed of delegates elected by the
of the party in their several |
ocalities. If, for example. nominal
lions for state offices were made by |
he people directly each locality would
naturally have its own fayorites, there
would be no concert of action and the /
result would be confusion.
The historic American system of |
)arty conventions provides for DELHI
.ration, conference and concert of /
.ction. 1t is true that under the
nalign influence Of an intrenched
,oss it may at times outrage the
entiments of individuals and local
ties. But this evil would be reduced
II even ayerted if the party members
n their respective localities would
ttend the local primaries, make their
entiments known and get delegates
lected in sympathy with them 1