The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-08-11
j. S. SENATORS
GOVERN NE N 7
Bourne Declares People Only
Can Make Government
Truly Representative.

Il believe in truly representative
government, not a pure democracy,
but under the political system which
has been built up government is not
truly representative and will not be
until the people have power to ,make
1t 80. The initiative and referendum
supersede no state legislature; they
merely provide the people a means of
securing laws which legislatures re-
fuse 10 enact and Of defeating unde-
sired laws which legislatures do en-
act.
Senator Sutherland says that when.
ever our present form of representa-
tive government proves ineffective or
works badly the fault is not with the
machine, but with those who are op-
Grating 1t; the remedy is for the peo-
pie to exercise more care in selecting
operating agents. The people have
long tried this remedy; now they will
try changing the machinery by pro.
viding a few new levers, drive wheels
and brakes The most important diff
ference between the views of Senator
Sutherland and my own is clear. He
believes the machine is all right, but
the fault lies with the people. l be-
Heve the people are all right, but the
fault lies with the machine.
Believes In Direct Primaries.
II believe In a direct primary, in
cluding popular expression of choice
for presidential and vice presidential
candidates. Any man who was COM
petent to chose between MI Taft and
Mr.. Bryan in the last election is oom-
petent to chose between Mr.. Taft and
Mr.. La Toilette in the coming prima-
ries. By adoption Of this system po-
litical bosses, backed by campaign
contributors, will be deprived of the
power to select candidates, and thus
presidents VIII be relieved Of that en-
barrassing obligation which the nomi-
nee must feel toward those who have
placed him in office.
Popular government contemplates
that all voters shall participate The
technical work of drafting a measure
should be performed by men Of skill
In that particular, but the people as
q whole are the best judges of the
principles involved and can be trusted
to pass upon the merits The welfare
of states is safe from injury at the
hands of men who have never gone
beyond the multiplication table. The
chief attention of congress In recent
years has been devoted tp efforts to
curb the rapacity of large business IN
terests, 30 regulate trusts, to control
railroad rates, to prevent manufacture
and sale Of injurious food products to
prohibit corrupt use of money IN elec-
tons and TO simplify court procedure
30 that the results Of litigation shall
not depend upon which litigant has
the greatest power of financial endur-
ance. Evidently the government has
more trouble with men who have gone
beyond the problems Of Euclid than it
has with men who have stopped with
the multiplication table.
"The senator from Utah says he ia
vors popular election of senators. At
the first election after adoption of the
initiative and referendum In Oregon
the people enacted a law under which
we have chosen three senators by pop
uar vote, the legislature merely ratify.
ing the popular choice. If the senator
really desires to secure popular elec,
tion of senators in his state he should
first secure the practical operation of
the initiative, after which absolutely
nothing can stand in the way of popu.
lar election of senators.
1.-THE people of Arizona would better
lose statehood than yield their right to
control their state government. What
a mockery 1t is to start a constitution
with preamble declaring we, the
people of Arizona, grateful to Al
mighty God for our liberties and then
harbor for an instant the thought of
surrendering or limiting that God CIV
en- liberty at, the instance of any man
who happens to occupy temporarily
the Office Of president.
The Man Doesn't Change.
II see no reason why a man who
occupies judicial position should be
governed by laws and standards of
public service different from those
which apply to Legislative or executive
officers. Judges are but human. We
sometimes elect Legislators to the
bench, send former judges to the legis-
lature and place judges in executive
positions, even elevating them to the
highest executive office in the land. A
man does not change his standards of
ethics when he changes hts office A
man who is dishonest or incompetent |
in an executive or legislative office viii
as likely be dishonest or incompetent
in a judicial office. He who would
use his power as an executive in an
improper manner or for an improper |
purpose would exercise judicial power
in the same way. In any branch of
government he Is a servant of the
people, not their master, and he should |
be subject 10 dismissal by the people
after fair opportunity to be heard upon
his record. The people elect a judge
because Of anticipated good pervice, |