The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-12-09
Advocates Adoption of Initiative,
Referendum and Commission
Form of Government
Is, However, Strongly Opposed to
the Principle of the Recall
of Judges.
Urges Catholic Fraternal Organ
izations to Study Carefully
These Questions.

Superior, Wis, differs somewhat in his
political views from other members of
the Catholic hierarchy of the United
States who have expressed them
selves on modern political reforms.
Bishop Schinner believes in the initia-
tive, referendum and commission form
of government. He does not, however.
believe in the recall Of judges. In an
address at banquet given before a
Superior, Wis, court of the Catholic
Order Of Foresters Bishop Schinne1
urged Catholic fraternal organizations
to study these questions so as to be
able to vote intelligently when the
time comes for doing so. In his ad-
dress, Bishop Schinner said that he
had firm confidence in the people and
that the nation which ignores the voice
OF the masses cannot prosper. He did
not touch upon the recall of judges in
his address but when he was inter-
viewed later he said that he was op-
posed to the passage of such a law.
"Besides the immutable laws that
are part and parcel of our very souls
and as immortal as these" said the
Bishop, 1--WE have and must have laws
national as well as local. These laws
constitute something definite and, at
least for the nonce, stable to serve as
safe guide for the people in their
relations to each other and to the COM
monwealth. If judges were subject to
a recall there might be danger that
they be Influenced by what they con-
slider public opinion rather than by
their respect for the law; the law
would become a mere shadow and one
might as well ask the people what is
their will in every individual case, un-
certainty perplexity and anarchy
would follow.
Il favor the initiative and the ref
erendun. Initiative and referendum
are but the logical conclusions from
the first premises Of our national con-
stitution. A restricted referendum has
been provided for us by the founders
of our national body and they have
given proof Of their consummate
wisdom by acknowledging that the
constitution might have to be amend
Ell either on account of its initial de-
fects or on account Of changes induc-
ed by the growth of states or other
causes, not excluding scientific discov-
cries and inventions which have rem
dered the intercourse between the ex-
treme ends of our country in our day
easier than between communities with
in the same state in the days Of the
founders"
Bishop Schinner believes that the
prejudice against the initiative, the
referendum, the recall and the COM
mission form of government is due to
a misunderstanding of the meaning of
those terms. They are in reality means
by which the people retain the power
which is justly theirs.
II have supreme confidence in the
people," said Bishop Schinner. "The
promises that God had made to man
IL the temporal order have been made
to the masses and not to the few, and
any class that separates itself from
the people invites its own doom. The
people are the living waters that pre-
serve unsoiled the we'll springs Of all
that is noble and good. Separated from
these living waters, the pools will
stagnate and breed corruption. Even
great leaders are but the crystalliza-
ton Of their time and race. Their
powers would but spell impotence did
impulse not come from the people. The
danger most to be feared is not that
the people should have power, but that
power should be wrested from the peo-
pie or that the people should be too
supine to use their power"
Die Y 0:&e Cor 0nr&rai&