Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-05-06
WILSON PREDICTS
NEW REFORM ERA
tContInued From First Page.


What we must devote ourselves to now is
not to upsettlng our institutions, but to re-
storing them.
What Correction IL Neededf
Let us ask ourselves very frankly what
It is that needs to be corrected. To sum
it all up in one sentence. it is the control
of politics and Of our life by great com
hinations Of wealth. Men sometimes talk
as II II were wealth we were afraid Of, as
II we were jealous of the accumulation Of
great fortunes. Nothing of the kind is
true. America has not the slightest ieal-
ousy of the legitimate accumulation Of
wealth. Everybody knows that there are
hundreds and thousands of men Of large
means and large economic power who have
come by 1t all perfectly legitimately not
only, but In a way that deserves the
thanks and admiration Of the communities
they have served and developed. But
everybody knows also that some of the
men who control the wealth and have built
up the industry of the country seek to con-
troll politics and also to dominate the life
OF common men in way in which no man
should be permitted to dominate
In the first place, there is the notorious
operation Of the bipartisan political ma
chine; 1 mean the machine which does not
represent party principle of any kind but
which is willing to enter into any combina-
ton. with whatever group of persons or Of
localities and of states and Of the nation
itself in order to maintain the power Of
those who direct it. This machine is sup
piled with its funds by the men who use
1t in order to protect themselves against
legislation which they do not desire and in
order to obtain the legislation which is
necessary for the prosecution of their DUR
poses.
Among the remedies proposed in recent
years have been the initiative and referen-
dunn In the field of legislation and the re-
call in the field of administration. These
measures are supposed to be characters
tic Of the moA radical programs, and they
are supposed to be meant to change the
very character of our government They
have no such purpose. Their intention Is
to restore, not to destroy representative
government. 1t must be remembered by
every candid man who discusses these mat
ters that We are contrasting the operation
OF the initiative and the referendum not
with the representative government which
we possess in theory and which we have
long persuaded ourselves that we possessed
In fact. but in contrast with legislative
processes which are carried on in secret
responding to the impulse of Subsidized
machines and carried through by men
whose unhappiness 1t is to realize that
they are not their own masters, but pup
pets in a game
Initiative One Remedy.
III we feel that we had genuine repre-
sentative government in our state Iegisla-
lures no one would propose the initiative
and referendum in America They are be-
ms opposed now as a means of bringing
our representatives back to the conscious
ness that what they are bound in duty and
In mere policy to do is to represent the
sovereign people whom they profess to
serve and not the private interests which
creep Into their counseis by way of ma
chine orders and committee conferences.
The most ardent and successful advocates
OF the initiative and referendum regard
them as a SOLDERING means of obtaining
genuine representative action on the part
of legislative bodies. They do not mean to
set anything aside. They mean to restore
and influence, rather.
THE recall is q means OF administrative
control. IL properly regulated and devised
II is means OF restoring to administra-
tive officials what the initiative and refer
endum restore to egislators-namely, a
sense OF direct responsibility to the people
who choose them.
The recall OF judges is another matter
Judges are not lawmakers They are not
administrators. Their duty is not TO de-
termine what the law shall be, but to
determine what the law is Their inde-
pendence, their sense OF dignity and OF
freedom, is Of the first consequence to the
stability of the state. To apply to them
the principle OF the recall is to set up the
idea that determinations of what the law
is must respond to popular impulse and to
popular judgment.
Ms sufficient that the people should
have the power to change the law when
they will. IL Is not necessary that they
should directly influence by threat of re-
call those who merely interpret the law
already established. The Importance and
desirability Of the recall as a means Of ad-
ministrative control ought not to be OBJ
secured by drawing il into this other and
very different field
THE second power we fear is the control
OF our life through the vast privileges Of
corporations which use the wealth of
masses Of men TO sustain their enterprise
ii is In connection with this danger that It
is necessary to do some of our elearest
and frankest thinking What is necessary
in order to rectify the whole mass OF bus
mess Of this kind is that those who con-
troll Il should entirely change their poi 4
Of view. They are trustees. not masters
OF private property. not only because their
power is derived from a/multitude Of men.
but also because in It's investments IL at
fscts multitude OF men. II determines
the development or delay OF communities.
II is the means Of lifting or depressing the
life OF the whole country They must re-
gard themselves as Representatives Of a
public power There can be no reasonable
jealousy Of public regulation in such mat
tiers, because the opportunities OF all men
are affected Their property Is everywhere
touched. their savings are everywhere alb
sorbed, their employment is everywhere
determined by these great agencies. What