The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-10-20

TO the Editor of The Celina Democrat:
In your last issue you have called upon
the several candidates for election to the
constitutional convention TO define their
respective positions. While it might be
expedient TO treat the matter with 81
lence, personally l have 10 desire to
conceal my attitude OH any of the sew
eral questions that are likely to engage
the attention of the convention.
The question which seems to occupy
the public mind more fully than any
other is that pertaining to direct legis-
lation or the initiative and referendum,
hence it deserves more extended notice.
In this county, as in all parts of the
country, especially in the West and no.
tably in the Pacific Coast States, there is
a pronounced leaning toward the adop-
ton Of the policy of initiative and refer
endum. Naturally there are a great
number and diversity of loose opinions
being exploited by individuals who have
plunged headlong into the conclusion
that the initiative and referendum are
the panaceas for all the disorders of
government and administration The
regret is that it is not potent remedy
for the underlying cause of the diseased
condition which ofends the sense of all
honest men alike. And there are oppo-
nents of the policy, no better informed,
who, without any reservation, condemn
the policy as wholly vicious and revolu-
tionary.
The purpose Of all argument should be
to arrive at the truth, and not veil or
shadow the truth for Interior purposes.
Such is my purpose i'll considering the
proposed policy or so-called reform. Let
us add to such purpose, loyalty to the
true interests of the people concerned.
An impartial investigation of the oper-
ations Of direct legislation, historical
and of modern times, discovers much
that is good and much that is inexped-
lent, dangerous and reactionary. There
fore the individual truly concerned with
the ultimate good of the masses, finds
himself unable to wholly condemn or
unreservedly approve the popular cry.
He will proceed with deliberation and
caution which is likely to discover the
true extent of its value and propriety of
adoption or rejection of the policy.
When the last word is said, eternal
vigilance is the sole purchase price of
wholesome and stable government; and
the eternal vigilance" that is intended
is the PART and DUTY of the people
however energetically we may attempt
to unload it upon the servants and Off
GERS selected and elected by the people,
and morever then to censure all public
officers for the fault and failures of the
few.
The real consequences of the bitter
ness and war between so-called preda-
tory wealth and the common people, the
opportunity and tendency of the times
for the accumulation of stupendous for
tunes by the few and poverty of the
many, together with the attendant in
crease Of population and national wealth
and prosperity, can not with accuracy
be foretold, but i'll the last analysis we
are encouraged TO study the vicissitudes
of national progress in human history,
the philosophy and utterances of the
mighty nation builders of the ages which
supply the lamp of experience and point
out the highways that, in the past, have
led to the successes and failures of hu-
man government. In that way the men
ace and dangers that 'imperil the princi-
pies and institutions may be largely
The signal lesson of such stu
dy and of all human history is that the
deliberate judgment of a moral people,