Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-11-24
Looking to the Future

Addressing the Supreme court OF
lows last week, Attorney General Cos
son, the highest law officer in the state
said that it ought not to be considered
the business of the courts to hunt
flaws in legislation and proceeded:
1--WE venture the assertion that no
important legislation, either state or
national, has been enacted during the
past decade and more that has not been
violently aesaiIed as unconstitutional.
Curiously enough, reliance is slway 9
placed upon some general and vague
Language, such as the provisions of the
fourteenth amendment-a war amend
ment which was passed to furnish the
black man protection but which has
largely failed in the specific purpose
for which it was intended, but which
has since beer seized upon as buffer
to guard the illegal practices of vested
interests. The significant thing about
it ali is that an abundance OF counsel
have been willing to assail any act as
unconstitutional, and there has usually
been some court, either inferior state
court or inferior federal court to hold
the law unconstitutional. Many of our
most salutary measures have been held
invalid by the higher courts by ma
jority of one. ;"
Describing this expression as sig
niicant of the tendency of the times, y
the Des Moines Register and Leader
says that-''it should be apparent to
every thinking man that the people,
cropping blindly for light, perhaps, still
are entertaining fairly set purpose to
take over into their own hands the ad-
ministration of their own affairs.
Such an achievement may require the
adoption of the initiative and referen-
dunn, the recall and possibly other ma
chinery in the effort to gain actual
self government and to establish an
efficient guard against socialism.
"And that would seen to be the i'm
portant point, worthy indeed of the
consideration of those who, fiercely
protesting against and fearful of social
ism yet ridicule the design of others
who believe expansion of the power Of
the people to enable them really to
govern will be the best possible anti
dote for socialistic tendencies. If courts
find it necessary under the constitu-
tion. to give such minute study to legis-
lative enactments as will disclose flaws
trivial but fatal. it may be expected
that the people steadily will look for q
means to make their will effective des-
pite clerical error in statutes or mi
mute defect of expression. Nor does
this search for means to that end
imply any disrespect of the courts.
Here again, in the foregoing, is ex'
preston of the sound conclusion that
instead of opening the door to social
ism, the initiative, referendum and re-
call, by making it easier for the peo'
pie to wipe out what they consider bac
and remedy what they consider wrong
really will effect to stay socialism.
For what makes socialists is patience
exhausted waiting for relief. Mer
feeling themselves hard pressed turr
to it in despair with the present order
The instruments Of direct government
aKording means of redress agains
wrong, would carry assurance to thu
average man that to secure justice it il
not necessary for him to join in {
movement to upturn the whole socia
and economic order. dubuque Tele
graph Herald.