The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-25


the several states. and finally the first
Tuesday after the nrst Monday In
November became the generally &C
cepted federal election day. Only
Maine and Vermont OF all the states
In the union now elect congressman
In September These two New Eng.
land states already have spoken. Yer
mont remaining true to its alles glance
to the Republican party, although by
maJorities slightly reduced: while
Maine burst the bonds OF nfty years
political habit and. forgetting its Re-
publicanism. elected two Democratic
representatives by large majorities.
and two Republican representatives
by very small majorities.
All OF which brings into public at
tention the fact that the year 1910 as
brought around another biennial con-
gressional campaign. 1t also IL en-
on year. That expression means, In
the FIRST instance, that the election
comes In the middle of the presidential
term and the election and its preced
ing campaign must be differentiated
from those congressional elections
which take place at the same time the
people choose presidential electors In
the second place. the arm "off" year
Is applied TO these elections by poll
ticians Of every shade Of political
allegiance because of the almost uni
,ersally accepted belief that the con-
gressionA elections are not to be
compared with presidential elections
In importance.
In the United States. and In the
Latin-American republics, all OF
which have more or less closely imi-
tated the United States constitution,
the selection Of legislative officers Is
subordinated In interest and import
ance to the business OF choosing ex-
ecutive and administrative officers. In
the constitutional countries Of Europe.
both Monarchical and Republican. the
selection. of legislative officers is OF
supreme importance--in fact. only
the legislative oficers are chosen by
the people In most European states.
In Monarchical Britain or Republican
France. the people elect members OF
the legislature, who In turn appoint
all executive oflcers. every ofiicer be-
ing at all times directly responsible
TO the chosen representatives OF the
people. In both countries, OF course.
this system In practice IL subject to
limitations not apparent In this bald
statement of the governing theory.
In the Democratic republic of the
United States and In the oligarchic re-
public Of Mexico the European theory
Is reversed. The Mexican oligarchy
rules by and through an autocratic
president who would not under any
circumstances brook interference
from the legislature. The American
democracy when displeased with It's
government usually directs its criti-
cism against the president and seeks
to obtain relief by choosing a new
executive. Americans, as a nation,
have not In the past given particular
attention to the business Of choosing
members Of congress. The congress
sional candidates In ordinary or nor
NAL times are compelled to make
their campaign upon more or less
unworthy and undignifled local lines,
the people often actually resenting
an effort on the part Of the candidate
to confne his canvass to national Is
sues
The political party history of the
country shows that this always has
been true. and discloses the interest
| ing fact that with one or two excep-
tons, every one Of the sixty-two con-
gressional campaigns has hinged upon
an administrative or presidential
question. Congressional majorities
have been returned or retired. as the
case might be. not because Of what
| that majority did or failed to do, but
because Of what the president of the
same party faith did or failed to do.
II the people have disapproved Of
the administration. and II they have
elected an opposition majority In con-
gress, a. they did In 1890 and 1894, the
president whom they have thus
repudiated and rebuked has paid alb
solutely no attention to their verdict.
because the American government Is
not a government Of responsible
parliamentary ministry. Although In
these years, and in others like them,