The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-09-28
Democracy Goes Forward,

Democracy Goes Forward
The experience meeting recently
held by the governors of twenty
four states up in New Jersey reveal
ed the characters of those who at
tended in a most striking manner.
Some of them seemed to forget that
they live in country where ell po-
liticaI power is lodged in the people,
and that they themselves were indebt-
ed to the people for what offices they
held. Among the worst offenders
along this line were Governor C'Neal,
Of Alabam, and Governor Morris, or
Montana, each Of whom read dis
tirctly reactionary papers on the ne
cessity for granting more power to
governors of the different States.
There is a movement thar seems
to be gathering strength in certain
sections of the union said Govern
or ONeal, (which tends to weaken
rather than strengthen executive au-
thority, and that is the system Of
initiative, referendum and recall. The
governor has no power to veto or
amend law initiated by the people
and adopted by referendum. If the
law is in violation of the constitu-
ton, invades vested rights or de-
stroys individual liberty the only
remedy can be found in the courts;
and where the system OF recall or
Judges prevails, overthrowing as 1t
does the independence Of tho judici-
ary, the courts would degenerate in
to tribunals organized chiefly to reg
lister popular judgment on all legal
questions.
He went on to say that the recall
would convert the public officer in
t. spineless and servile hirellng,
stirred by every passing breeze OF
public opinion, obeying every popular
impulse and yielding to every wave
Of popular passion of prejudice and
spoke with contempt of the caprice
of the majority. He said he would
rather stand with Hamilton and Mad
ison than with some of the prophets
our states are turning out!" he cried.
Let us not forget that the purpose or
government is to limit the power OF
the majority, and of constitutions to
protect the minority from the tyran-
ny of the majority. Leaving aside
the initiative and referendum, The re-
call Of judges would surely institute
mob rule"
Governor Woodrow Wilson. of New
Jersey, led an attack on Governor
O'Neals position, in which, Governor
McGoyern, of Wisconsin, Governor
Aldrich, of Nebraska, and governors
of other Western States Joined: i
have never seen an instance where
the registered will of majority
could properly be called caprice
retorted Governor Wilson. Nor is
the verdict of the majority mob rule
as it is described by some. a mob is
one thing; thousands of people voting
in thousand precincts quite another
thing, and there is no chance Tor
confusion of terms. The initiative and
referendum, SO much discussed, are
not designed to change our form Oh
government, but to rejuvenate the
methods of it. Any governor Is dig
nified and glorified by going to the
people as the source of his power
Governor O'Neal as the executive
of a Democratic State is out OF place,
and he richly deserve the rebuke ad-
ministered to him by Governor Gill
christ, of Florida, who reminded him
that the caprice Of majority gave
lin his job. The confidence of the
people in themselves is increasing;
they are demanding and securing a
firmer hold on their government.
This trend is apparent throughout
the world and it is permanent. Many
men fear that evil will come from
a nearer approach to pure democ-
racy, but these fears have been ex-
pressed every time step IN advance
has been taken-they have proven
groundless before-they will be
again. Men may come and men may
90 but democracy goes Oil forever.
Its principles are becoming more
widely understood each year here
and throughout the world.