The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-30

the facts. as every candid man must.
My whole possession-my whole rea-
soning-was against these things. But
when I came into contact with cam
did, honest, public-spirited men who
could speak with regard, for example,
to Oregon) from personal observation
and experience, they floored me fiat
with their narrative of what had act
ually happened. ssss The initia-
tive, referendum and recall were in
their y Gas they are in mine) mere
~ as means to an end-that end being
the restoration of the control Of pub.
lie opinion. Where opinion already
controls, where there is no actual,
genuine representative government.
as I believe there il in Virginia and
in the south in general. they are not
necessary. Each state must Judge for
itself. I do not see how it could be
made q subject of national policy.
''"' The recall Of judges I am
absolutely against. and always have
been. ''" 1t is seldom used out
side the municipalities. I do not. re-
member an instance Of it's use on a
state officer. 1t is merely "a gun be-
hind the door,"
In a long letter Of his own, Profess
sor nabney tells the Richmond paper
that he is simply amazed at the SEEM
ing lukewarnlness Of Virginia toward
DIR. Wilson'S candidacy. II her gov
ernor, or either of her two United
States senator's, or any one of her ten
representatives in congress has "comc
out" for the doctor. he has not heard
Of it. Yet Virginia has not had a son
of her own In the white house since
Zachary Taylor died-siXty-one years
ago. No Virginian has been nominal.
ed for the presidency since Winfield
Scott ran-unsuccessfully - against
Franklin Pierce-ifty-nine years ago.
Why is not Virginia jumping at the
chance to brush the dust from her
proud old title-"Mother of Presi-
den,s?" The only explanation the
professor can think Of it that that her
people are conservative and that they
have got the notion into their heads
that DR.. Wilson is a radical dema-
gogue-"either insincere in character
or intellectually too vacillating to be
trusted as a political guide" The
professor earnestly assures the Rich
mond paper that this is a very incor-
rect notion. He has known the doc
tor. intimately. for thirty.two years;
they We're fellow-students at the uni
versity. Il know his character" says
the professor. land l now declare.
with the coolest deliberation and with
the utmost earnestness, that George
Washington himself was not more in
capable than he Of wen the faintest
insincerity. either in private or in
public life" True. DR.. Wilson has
partly changed his mind about the
Initiative. referendum and recall: but
what of that: "These Oregon expert
ments are Very recent THINGS" the
doctor has the open mind Of a SCI
entific thinker and statesman; he
modified his theories when confront
ed with new facts" Besides, notice
how carefully in his personal letter
he qualities his approval Of the Oregon
schemes. I'm addition" writes Pro-
lessor Dabney."I will state what I
know to be a fact. that it was in ac-
cordance with Woodrow Wilson's
W deliberate advice that the New
Jersey Democrats excluded these pol
icies from the platform adopted in
their recent campaign" This will in.
"a Az 1IlSII WIN were not IN
the secret.
The Times Dispatch is very COURT
eous to the professor, and to his
friend. It agrees With him that the
Eirginians are a conservative folk; it
was the belief that DIR. Wilson, 'in
the enthusiasm Of his western expert
ences had abandoned government by
elected and competent legislators for
government by the unframed and un-
skilled body Of voters at large" which
made them chilly toward his candi-
dacy. His letter to Professor Dabney
will. the Richmond paper thinks,
clear up many doubts and quiet many
misgivings on the part of his friends
and fellow citizens in Virginia" It
with special relief his re-
pudiation of that insane delusion,"
the recall of judges. 1t welcomes al
so his remark that methods useful in
Oregon are probably mot necessary
In Virginia. and it proceeds to read
into Or. Wilson's words a stiff posi-
tiveness which he did not put there.
THE initiative, referendum and recall
have no place or portion in the life
of Virginia today" says the Richmond
Democratic newspaper.