The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-08-11


ment, represented by the so called Ore
bing to Senator Jonathan Bourne, Jr.,
Of that state, president of the Progress
sive Republican league.
"Within the last few years." said the
Utah senator, 'the United States Of
America has become the field of opera
ton for an amiabfe band Of insurgent
soothsayers, who have been going up
and down the land indulging in cabalis-
tic utterances respecting the initiative,
referendum and recall and divers and
sundry other ingenious devices for re-
aliZing the millennium by the ready
and simple method Of voting 1t out OF
its present state of incubation. They
direct our attention to the clouds fly
ing above the far western horizon upon
which the flaming finger Of the Ore
gop sun has traced in radiant and
opalescent tfnts glowing pathways,
shining minarets, stately temples and
castles and palaces, pinnacles of gold
and caves Of purple, and they tell us
that these are the visible signs which
mark the exact location Of the new
and improved political Jerusalem,
where the wicked Office holders cease
from troubling and the weary voters
do all the work.
"They bid US Join them in an airy
pilgrimage to this scene Of pure delight
and assure us that here, high above
selfish and mundane things, is the land
flowing with milk and honey where
every bird Is songster, where the ex-
qutsite flowers of political purity are
In perpetual bloom, where every pros
pect pleases and only the standpatter
Is vile, where all the laws are perfect
and corruption and wickedness are for.
gotten legends.
"A good many people," Senator Suth-
erland added, 'are accepting the invi-
tat1on without taking the precaution
to secure return tickets"
Calls Them Ba1loonatics.
Senator Sutherland described the ad-
vocates Of these newfangied ideas also
as 'balloonatics," who are carrying all
gas and no ballast. Senator Suther-
lands speech was aimed chiefly at the
Arizona constitution, although he also
included the New Mexico constitution
within his condemnation. He acknowl-
edged that II was not fashionable to
find fault with the political fads
which are being fntemperately advo-
Gated under the claim of restoring gov
ernment by the people.
ANY one" said he. '-who doubts the
wisdom Of the initiative and referen-
dunn, the recall or the direct primary
is at once set down by certain self
constituted guardians OF the peoples
rights as 'reactionary' or -standpat-
ter and only those who accept the
whole programme from prologue to
epilogue are considered worthy 10 be
called progressive.
-Somebody has defined a standpat-
ter as a man who has stopped and
cannot start and progressive as one
who has started and cannot stop. II
these definitions are to be accepted as
accurate sensible people will avoid
both schools"
Country's Sanity In Danger.
Senator Sutherland declared that be.
tween the political quack who thinks
only Of himself and the political Dealot
who does not think at all the country
is in grave danger Of having all the
stability and sanity ground out of its
institutions.
I'VE are living in strenuous days"
said Senator Sutherland. "EVery.
body seems to be affected in one form
or another with the speed mania. To
do everything more quickly, to travel
faster and faster Is the growing obses-
sion Of the times, and we are eagerly
looking forward 30 the day when we
shall fly through the air without the
ehcumbrance Of a gasoline tank. draw
ing propulsive power as we so from
the electric waves which fill the uni
verse with the mysterious energy of
their rise and fall
Too Many New Fads.
"It is not strange that in the uni
versal fever OF haste government itself
should be swept by this mad spirit of
impatience, which has given rise to
the new apostle of reform. whose de
mand is that we shall abandon the
methodical habits of the past and go
careering after novel and untried
things. The speed limit has been TAX
en- off, the Stop. Look and Listen
signs removed, and the importunate
cry is, Full speed ahead, get some
where else than where you are-it mat
ters not where-only in Gods name let
1t be quickly"
Senator Sutherland declared that the
new fads in government were too
many even to count. Every self con-
stituted reformer was bringing a IA
vortte patch to the quitting bee, and
when the work was finally completed
our scheme of government, he predict
ed, would be as bizarre as the old
fashioned quilt that grandmother used
to make.
1T is high time" said Senator Suth-
erland, 'tfor a reaction 10 that ancient
but discredited common sense. which
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