Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-10
JUDGE VAN ORSDEL SPEAKS
Addresses Bachelors Club on Tend
ency Of the Times.
SAFETY OF REPUBLIC AT STAKE
Varied Program at Meeting of Or
ganization Connected With Young
Mems Christian Association.

of the executive with the legislative de-
is new thing for the executive to say
to the Congress: You must pass this
law and you must not pass that law;
or if you do not act upon this law I will
call you into extra session until you do
act upon it
1T is not the theory of our govern
ment and is dangerous innovation. So
long as the legislative, judiciary and ex-
ecut1ve branches of the government re-
main independent of each other, SO long
as they exercise their different func-
tons independently, just so long is otr
government safe
Justice J. A. Van Orsdel of the Court
of Appeals of the District of Columbia
thus expressed his apprehensions for the
stability of American institutions Of gov
eminent as framed by the forefathers,
speaking at the banquet of the Bach
elors Club of the Y. NJ. c. A, held in
the assembly hall of the Y. M. c. A.
building.
Dreadfu1ly in Earnest.
There are some who would say" he
continued. that it is beyond the bounds
of propriety for one of the judiciary to
speak thus. and possibly it is. But am
dreadfully in earnest. 1 may be wrong
in my opinions. but, if so, time will de-
velop it."
Judge Van Orsdel in his speech urged
young men to get out of government en-
ployment and to have ambitions above
that of department clerk. He told them
that the nation needed them in its coun-
ellis to stem the tendency Of the times
toward socialism and toward destruction
of those fundamental principles of our
government as framed by the forefathers.
"A judge is expected to keep silent and
be talked to, but it is different in Con-
gress." said Judge Van Orsdel In his IN
troductory remarks. referring to the alb
sence of Senator Borah, who had been
detained at home by a sore throat and
who was to have been the principal
speaker of the evening. Senator Borah,
l had hoped would occupy all the time of
the speechmaking So I did not prepare
any address. hoping either not to be call
ed upon or to be allowed to speak only
few words.
mo Christian organization in the
world he continued, lis doing so much
for the development of a high order OF
citizenship as the Y. M. c. A. But un-
derstand that IS per cent of your mem
bership in Washington are clerks in the
government departments.
Appeals to Ambition.
THAT is good thing as an aid toward
acquiring an education, as most OF you
young men are doing. But l hope you
will not be content. when you have ac-
quired that education, to live the life Of a
The world, the nation, needs you.
There is no time in the history Of the
United States when We needed conserv-
alive citizenship as We do today. l am
is getting better every day. and that our
civilization is advancing steadily.
But / am sometimes alarmed by the
tendencies in this country at the present
day. The tendency in this country is to
drift toward socialism.
Il am progressive, in the general sense
Of the word. I even believe in some of
the principles of the political progressives.
believe, for one thing, in the regulation
of railroads and corporations that derive
their rights from the state. But 1 also
believe in protecting property rights.
This tendency of the times is called
democracy. 1 speak of it from a gov
ernrnental standpoint, not in reference
party. But it means a getting away
from the fundamental principles of our
government. 1t means a getting away
from representative government.
Tne tendency Is 10 get away from
the restrictions laid down by the
trainers Of the Constitution and to
leave everything to the people to de-
eide instead of to men chosen by them
for their qualifications to aid in the
legislative councils; and to break down
the double system which was organized
in our legislative department - the
strongest thing in our system Of gov
eminent.
Regarded as Menace.
The popular election of senator's is
proposed. The next logical step would
be an amendment to- the Constitution
nro,ridino IA fe with a mil L