Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-09-01
Public Forum
Mr.. Clancy Comes Back.

To the Editor Of the Journal:
! must ask a little space for reply
to the letter Of "A Republican, pub
lished i'm your issue of this morning.
] have no fault to find with the spirit
and tone of the letter, but GER
tainly appear to have been s%ingularly
unfortunate in what 1 have previously
written, as 1t is said that the burden
OF my arguments against the initia-
tive and referendum is that the people
are, mt least politically, ignorant and
not to be trusted.
| did not intend to devote myself
10 arguments against the initiative
and referendum, but to a statement
of what might be said in their favor as
well as against them, and / did not
intend 20 be understood as urging the
ignorance Of the people as an argu-
mcnt against these things. The evil
most Go bc feared is the Indifference
OF the average voter To matters of
public concern. and past experience
goes far towards showing that such
Indifference exists. No amoun of leg
i~slation or constitution making will
remedy this condition. Even If IT be
admitted that a large portion OF
voters in an parts OF the United States
are ignorant people, yet the great diff
ticnlty rs not to he found in that fact
but IN the lack of interest which the
better educated. Intelligent classes
display as 20 the discharge of their
duties as citizens and voters. That
which rs ~everybody's business is no-
bodys business.
The existing laws today on the
statute books Of New Mexico. with
regard 60 elections, are quite sufficient
TO secure "a fun and fair expression OF
the win OF the voters If those laws
we're properly administered by the
officials entrusted with duties under
them, and If there were a general de-
sire on the part Of voters to express
their viii, and il Is TO be borne In
mind that all those officials are
created boy the vote of the people and
that IL they are not competent, honest
and efficient, the fault OF Il all rests
with the people themselves and
their lack Of interest, as already
stated.
Have we good reason to hope that
10y adding more and different duties
TO those already existing. We viii elc-
waite ana improve the masses or the
Notersf IT they pay So little atten-
ton to the operation of our present
election machinery, viii they pay any
more when We adopt new and com
plicatcd inventions and additions DO
that machinery May there not be
some force in the suggestion that such
NN Improvement are me Ai'
.legeudary course of the mythical per-
SON who thought he could lift him
self mp 10y his 81 boot straps?
10 is true, that at times "a consid-
cradle portion of the people appear 10
wake up To am intelligent perception
of Che fact that they ought 10 take an
interest In public matters and that
some duties rest upon them. but, rs
% rule, such things last but "a little
time and The people soon relapse into
their condition OF former indifference
M time and space permitted, specific
Instances could readily be cited.
] wish again 90 repeat that all 7
seek is TO have fair and impartial
consideration Of am that may be
urged. from different points Of view.
as Co these matters. before we reach
"a decision as TO the proper course TO
Doc pursued
invite attention to the brief words
OF advice given TO us Yesterday by
Colonel Roosevelt in which he warn
us equally against the doctrinaire and
the corporation attorney, who may
both seek go inject into our constitu-
ton matters uf which we will oon
nC desIruus of Kidding ourselves. The
one Is 100 less dangerous d the
other. . urge that 10 may Doe well for
us tn pause and consider with great
care Dow and comparatively untried
doctrines as Co governmental proce-
uurc before making them a part OF
The nfsauic law of our state.
FRANK w. CLANCY.
August 81. 1910.