The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-11-18
The Initiative, Referendum and Recall
Termed Mobocracy by Church
Di9nitaries.

Dignitaries.
Cardinal Gibbons and Arch
bishop Ireland, like the great
bulk of conservative Democrats,
do not take much stock in the
referendum and recall, and their
contention that the people al
ready have all the freedom they
need or really desire has raised a
hue and cry among our latter day
progressive" Democrats and
'insurgent" Republicans.
At Council Bluffs. Iowa, last
month, the climax to the reunion
of the Society of the Army of
Tennessee came when the annual
banquet was held. 1t was an
elaborate affair. Archbishop Ire
land, of St. Paul, Mimi, spoke
on American Democracy"
After relating the story of
Democratic government making
by the newly born States after
the Revolutionary war, Bishop
Ireland said:
And now the clamor is heard
that the organization of Ameri-
can Democracy, such as the re-
public has known for a century
and a quarter, must be altered,
torn asunder, under the pretense
that with it the people did not
govern with sufficient directness.
Let us hope that this clamor is
but a passing ebullition Of feel
ing, soon to sink back into the
tranquil seriousness of thought
usually underlying the move
ments of the masses of the peo-
pie. to be there buried in silence
of oblivion.
VENDING WAY TOWARD MoBoC-
RACY.
Democracy? Yes. Moboc-
racy? Never. And toward mob
ocracy we are trying to wend our
way. The shibboleths of the
clamor, you know-the initiative,
referendum, the recall, put into
general practice, as the evangel-
list of the new social gospel fain
would have them are nothing
more or less than the madness of
Democracy.
THE PEOPLE ARE TRUSTED.
May we not trust the people,
it is asked. Yes, we trust the
people as the trainers of our Con-
stitution through them. We
trust the people. and people usu-
ally trust themselves when inter-
ests other than political are at
stake RENTING those expert in
such matters.
''The initiative and referend-
UNI legislative bodies become
mere bureaus of registration and
exchange for popular views and
opinions. All conclusive author
ity is lost to them. A small frac-
ton of the population sets the
machinery of legislation in mo-
ton, retards or annuls its de-
creeS.
RECALL Is THE WORST.
But the worst is the recall.
and independence in Of
flee for a fixed period of time are
essentials. Recall of officers re-
luire a watching of public opin- |
ion. But when the official has
proved himself unworthy of |
trust, Archbishop Ireland said, |
there remained a remedy.
LET him be impeached. FL
ever independence from popular
,lamor is imperiously demanded
t is when men are forbidden to
speak in the name of the supreme
Justice, regardless of consequent
les to persons or parties with alb
'olute calmness of mind and deep
st study are the prerequisites
% a decision. L."
CATHOLIC PRELATES TAKEN TO
TASK.
A dispatch dated Washington,
Oct. Is, says: Senator Jonathan
Bourne, Jr., president of the Ma
ional Progressive Republican
league, in a statement to-day,
ook to task Cardinal Gibbons
nd Archbishop Ireland for their
riticism of the initiative, refer
ndum and recall as practiced in
oregon.
The senator said both reason
nd experience were ignored by
he two prelates in their use of ,
he words mob law" and mob ,
cracy" in describing the Oregon
ystem.
"Mobs act under the sudden
npulSe of anger. fear or hatred -