Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-10-07
Questions the Wisdom of Three
Important Political
Propositions.
ExhOrts the Laiety to Stand
Firm On Our Present
Laws.
Insult to Dignity, Independence
and Self Respect of Our
Judiciary.
DUTY OF The PATRIOTIC CITIZEN

In the course of his jubilee sermon
delivered at the Cathedral in Balti-
more last Sunday Cardinal Gibbons
expressed unqualified disapproval of
three important political propositions
which have commanded a large share
of public attention; namely, the cleo
ton of United States Senators by the
direct vote of the people; the refer
endum proposal which has come up
in several Western States, providing
for the submission of Legislative
|enactments to the voters for ratifica-
ton, and the recall of the judiciary.
While it is the Cardinals custom to
preach on the first Sunday of the
month, his discourse Sunday was in
the nature of a prelude to the re-
ligious celebration of his golden
jubilee as a priest of the Catholic
church and the silver anniversary of
his Cardinalate, which begins on Sun
day, the fifteenth inst, and con-
tinues until the nineteenth. Defining
the duties of his brethren of the
laity, he exhorted them to be faithful
in the practice of their religion and
urged them as citizens of the United
States to take a patriotic part in
every measure that contributes to the
progress of the Commonwealth.
''No man should be a drone in the
social beehive" said His Eminence.
mo citizen should be an indifferent
spectator of the political, moral and
economic questions that are agitated
around him. At the presnt moment
there are three political problems
which are engaging the serious at
tention of our public men. 1t is pro-
posed that United States Senators
should be elected by popular vote in
stead of being chosen by the Legis-
llature, as is prescribed by the conx
stitution. 1t is proposed that thy
acts of our Legislature, before they
have the force of law, should be sub
mitted to the suffrage of the people
who would have the right to vote.
It is proposed to recall or remove an
unpopular judge before the expira-
tion of his term of office.
No one questions the ability, the
sincerity and patriotism of the advo-
Gates of these changes in our organic
laws. But I hope I may not be pre-
sumptuous in saying that, in my
opinion, the wisdom of the proposed
amendments must be seriously ques-
toned. The election of Senators by
the votes of the people involves the
destruction Of strong bulWark
against dangerous popular encroach-
ments. The reason given for the
contemplated change is that many OF
our State Legislatures are charged
with being venal and that 1t is easier
to corrupt the Legislature than the
whole people. In reply would say
IIf you can not trust the members of
the Legislature, how can you trust
their constituents, from whom they
spring? If you can not confide in
our Legislatures, you can not confide
in human government, nor in human
nature itself. If a few of our Legis-
latures have been found guilty of
bribery, It is most unjust to involve
all the others in their condemnation.
have sufficient confidence in the
moral integrity of our Legislatures
to be convinced that the great major
ity of them have never bent the knee
to Mammon. To give to the masses
the right of annulling the acts of the
Legislature is to substitute mob law
for established law.
''To recall a Judge because his de-
cisions do not meet with popular ap-
lproval is an insult to the dignity, the
independence and the self-respect of
our judiciary. Far less menacing to
the Commonwealth is an occasional
corrupt or incompetent Judge than
one who would be the habitual slave
of a capricious multitude, who has
always his ear to the ground trying
TO find out the verdict of the people.
THE Constitution Of the United States
is the palladium Of our liberties and
our landmark in our march OF prog
ress. That instrument has been
framed by the anxious cares and en-
frightened zeal of the fathers OF the
republic. It's wisdom has been
tested and successfully proved after
a trial of a century and quarter. II
has weathered the storms OF the cen
tury which Is passed, and II should
be trusted for the centuries to come
What has been good enough for our
fathers ought to be good enough for
us. Every change, either In the.
political or religious world. is not q
reformation. z
''Better to bear the ills We KNOW
than fly TO those we know not OF. A
''Do not disturb the political Land
marks OF the republic.
Every man that runs about wav-,
ing a new panacea for social evils Isl
not TO be worshiped as political alx
model reformer. We all raal&p
the story Of Aladdin anf
derful Lamp Better To-
old lamp OF the fatla
guided the steQ
people for four
confIde IN ever
may led US in,