Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-05-15
WILSON TALKS
AT LOS ANGELES
Commends Commission Form
of Government, and lnitia-
tive and Referendum
GOVERNOR GETS OVATION
In No Instance Has Commits
sion Form Failed to Better
Conditions
GOVERNOR GETS OVATION

Los ANGELES, Cal. May IL
Woodrow Wilson, Governor OF New
Jersey. was greeted with great Ell
thusiasm when he spoke before the
City club here last night. Gen. r
G.. Bellows, former American consul
general to Japan, presided. In his
opening remarks he referred TO The
odore Roosevelt and Hiram w. John
son, governor of California, each
name receiving much applause.
When he finally reached the in
PRODUCTION of Governor Wilson his
words were drowned in the famous
Princeton yell, given by former stu
dents of that university in the audi
enCc.
Governor Wilson made an address
continually interrupted by cheers and
Clapping.
He spoke of the commission form
Of government, the initiative, refer
endum and recall, of party platforms
of interests, of the barrier between
voters and their own institutions and
was listened to intently by the great
audience.
Party Lines Obscured.
He said in part.
1T must be evident to every one
that party lines are being very much
ObScured; that more and more men
are holding themselves free to follow
this leader or that according as their
own perception of the public interest
dictates. And so great many new
terms have come into uor politics.
l. is amusing to note their variety
and the way in which men are seek
ing labels for themselves and for
their opponents. The classification
most in fashion is that of "progres-
sives" and 'reactipnaries" and |
dare say those terms will serve as
well as any others to express the
real contrasts which now begin to
show themselves III our political &C
ton.
ct is interesting to me as a demo-
crat to note that while We have heard
a great deal of talk about insurgent
republicans we have heard very little
about insurgent democrats. lnsur
gents are those who throw off au-
thority. 1t must be that the insur
gent republicans are throwing Off the
authority of the major portion Of their
| party, while democrats are free to
! De progressive WITHOUT DelLS lHSul-
/ gents. 1t would seem that to be pro-
gressive is not to defy the general
authority of their party colleagues. |
should like to believe that this meant
that the democratic party as whole
is naturally progressive, and that II
is easier, through the Instrumental
ity of that party, to accomplish the
new purposes of the day than through
Z ~ inc rI at,ta 1itv Of tho rauIIblir1n
party.
ut is important to note that the
word progressive means something
much more than mere impulse or in
clination. 1t means, if | understand
il correctly, a concentration upon &C
, tual problems and upon the means
of solving them.
Commission Form Approved
Speaking of the commission form
of government, Governor Wilson
said:
Not in a single instance, so far
as | have heard, has this new form
of government failed to give the great
est satisfaction or to effect just the
change which was sought to be effect
ed namely, the change from an IT.
responsible, eXtravagant and lnefilcl-
ent government to responsible, eco
nomcal and efficient government.
This is the principle and the purpose
of the shortened ballot; the concen-
tration of the choice OF the people
upon a small group of persons whom
them can watch and whom they there
fore can control.
"Another of the most interesting
/ features of the commission form or
government is that it is usually as
sociated with the initiative ana rel
erendum; the right OF the cltlZehS'
! that is to say, to originate proposals
of law, and to insist that certain meas.
ures of a debatable character snail
be submitted to them for decision.
And in many of our states there Is
a distinct movement to adopt the I'M
tiative and referendum as methods
of legislative action for the people
of the states themselves, as mas al
ready been done in the noteworthy
instance of Oregon. The idea OF this
method of action is not to superSede
law.making or ordinance making bod
les. but merely to supply a means
of action to be used, when and If
necessary. in order to keep repre-
sentatives constantly aware of their
dependence upon public opinion and
the Judgment of their constituents
; 1t is nowhere sought to substitute
these methods of action for those long
established amongst us. Inc puI-
pose is merely one of rectlilcatloh'
restraint, control
Purpose Of the Recall.
"The same may be said OF the re
call: that is to say, the right OF the
voters of any political, self-governlng
unit to cancel the election of an ON
Ger and substitute someone else upon
: occasion This is merely means OF
; frightening the sense of Responsiveness
l and when properly safe-guarded by
the law, can only with dlinculty De
used for any other purpose. Its IN
tention is to establish in the field