The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-18
WOODROW WILSON AND VIRGINIA.

WOODROW WILSON AND VIRGINIA.
In striking ana forcefui lettcg to
The TimesDispatch, Dr. r. Heath
Dabney professor of history at the
University OF Virginia, asks why 1t Is
that Virginia, the State In which
Woodrow Wilson was born, should be
20 cool towards his candidacy for the
presidency of these United states. The
question Is largely answered by Dr.
DaNney himself in Bis suggestion that
yYrginians are conservative people.
That conservatism has showed Itself
In many ways For example, It Is In
conceivable 10 Virsinians how any
call Of judges The courts of this
State have been honest, The Judges
have been above rcproach, and the
Ipol!ticsl instinct Of the people sees
tho destruction OF law ami order which
necessarily follows upon the recall OF
Judges oy popular vote. The law must
be above the mob or the mob Will be
above tho law Governor Wilson'S
statement of his absolute opposition
TO the recall OF Judges under any
conditions should make his position
clear and undoubted in that particular.
Z And whiic tho recall of judges is be-
Ing discussed, II is we'll To remember
that when he was in California. whore
tho recall of judges was almost being
made a test OF patriotism. Governor
rryllz oolr CO ct a,,S au
President TAFT against that insane
doluelon
! III his letter to DIR. Dahney Gov
sarnor Wilson says. LAS for the recall.
tpalities." In view OF the great doubt
guinness that has attended the recall,
even for municipal officers. Governor
Wilson might we'll have said that lie
thought the recall was an uncertain
and by no means established safeguard
under any conditions, Taking the eN-
perience OF cities as far apart as
houston and Tacoma, II may be doubt |
ed whether the bitterness stirred up
over a recall election" is not more
.
peaceful and old; fashioned method Of
waiting for the disiilscd officials term
to expire. or in desperate cases. re-
sorting TO the courts,
OF this and similar ncwfanGlcd
methods for gaining political pcrfcc-
tion by get-rich quick methods, Vir
ginia is content to say, Other peoples, 4
other customs What docs concern
this State. however. and concern III
very deeply, is the mental processes
his mind almost overnight OH the value
of the initiative and referendum.
II is fair to admit that until the very
recent experiments in Oregon the in
dtiative and referendum had been gen
nrelly used only by Switzerland Based
on the workings of the initiative and
referendum there, Governor Wilson,
n~ho ives then teaching political econ
Smy at Princeton 'Sdecla.ed against
. these methods Of deicrmining or en-
forcing the popular VIII Bu, when
/ he visited oregon Governor Wilson
{ found facts in frvur of tho initiative
\ and referendum which Aoorcd him.
we are no' fully familiar with the
conditions that made the initiative and
4 pnferendum success !" mat state
{ though we nave carefully siudied Sen
ator Bourns's speeches In mat conheo-
;. zion Nor 90 We understand why the
I same political Intelligence and energy
necessary 10 make those methods er-
1eo'aai means sor '"frS'hH out the
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