The Detroit times., 1911-11-18

Under the headline. Contrasting
ODlnions," the Dubuque QowO Tele'
<raph-Heraid. edited by a Catholic
laymen, says:
'Iiaying heard from Cardinal GID
hons and Archbishop Ireland that TO
rdopt the initiative, referendum anu
recall would be TO open the way 10
the mob" rule, let US turn 10 an Ut
ferance by the late Justice Harlan
whose opinions carried weight at
fachins 10 no other justice OF the SUI
preme court, by virtue OF his char
acter and his length OF service. Speak
ing in New York shortly before MS
death. Justice Harlan said:
"The people mean what Is right,
and the most certain thing in all the
public affairs OF this country is that
II you give the people time TO think
and discuss all the public questions
fully and fairly before them, their
Anal judgment is better than the
Judgment of any political convention
II may be asked IL what Justic Har-
Ian said is true and, II II Is true, why
II is true that the final judgment OF
the people is better than the hnal
Judgment OF a political convention.
The answer is that selfishness is
more likely TO influence delegates in
a political convention than the mass
OF the people. Who know anything
OF politics know that the personal
equation is the largest factor in IL.
MISREPRESENTATION is the first law OF
nature, and the tendency OF men is
10 ask themselves, How will this af-
feet me-" and now How will this af-
feet my people?" IL we can devise in
this country machinery which shall
enable the people 10 make deciding
choice between given policies. that
will best subserve the ends OF Demo
cratic government.
We take pleasure in reproducing
herewith an extract from an editorial
in reply to the criticisms of the initia-
tive, referendum and recall by Car
dinal Gibbons and Archbishop Ireland.
The reply is a notable one from the
fact of It's appearance In the Western
World Catholic weekly published at
Des Moines. II indicates that the
voice OF the cardinal and the arch.
bishop on these matters is not only
not the voice of the church-which OF
course, II could not be-but is not
even reflective of the opinion of the
church press. We quote:
IF such things as direct elections.
Initiative and referendum, and the re-
call are not TO be resorted TO. what are
the proper remedies? We know that
prelates OF the Catholic church see the
tendency towards socialistic ideas and
doctrines in these matters. but what
are the people TO do? Laws are made
in the interests of great trusts and
monopolies. and other laws are pre-
vented from being enforced by the in
huence OF the same constituencies
power in this country. The multi mil
ltonaircs are continuing to pile up
wealth while the wage earners are kept
poor. The workers for wages, or sal
aries. have to pay just as much and
often more for the necessartes OF life
as those who command fabulous for
tunes and through whose influence
over legislation and cou1s unjust laws
are enacted and good laws made inef-
fective. We do not hear much denun-
citation OF the money power which at
times seems to control national and
state Legislative bodies. We do not
hear sermons enough in condemnation
OF the awful greed and the dishonest
methods OF business employed by men