Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-18
GREAT IDEAS SELDOM PERISH
Attorney General Wiokersham Talks
at Pslimpsest Club Banquet.
HEAPS PRAIsE ON FOREFATHERs
AttacIks eDemagOsues VINO Attack
Americah installations - Speaks
a. Prison Congress Today to
Represent President.

Unstinted praise was 'heaped upon the
colonial, fathers who framed the consti-
tuition of the United States, and dema-
goguest who attack American institutions
were, forcibly attacked by United states
Attorney General George W. Wickersham
in an address az a banquet OF the Pa
limpsest at which he was the honored
guest at the Omaha club Monday. Mr..
Wickersham is, In Omaha to speak before
the congress of the American Prison as
ISOLATION tonight.
'T have been left to speculate whether
or not you devote your meetings TO the
study Of photography reading the photo
graphio copies OF famous palimpsests,
winch are now sent anywhere by the
great libraries Of Europe TOR the conven-
iexee- Of scholars, in distant lands" said
Mr. wickefsham II the name of your
club msrelysis a figurative suggestion Of
broader than human interests. leading
into fields Of history and philosophy. far
beyond the mere deciphertng OF ancient
writinss
Il have preferred to adopt the latter
theory and to assume that your palimp-
sestss are. the leaves in. the great book Of
human history"
Mr.. ,Wiekersham followed the idea of
popular government from the time OF the
Greeks and said Of American Colonists;
Familiar with Governments. -
AS one reads the inadequate record
of their deliberationt. one filled with
wonder and admirahon at the evidence
OF their thorough familiarity with the
hist9ty OF goyernments n the past a q,
ture They were. AZ pains to save their
country from the disasters which had
ever attended, upon popular forms OF gov
80, they. devised a scheme Of repre-
sentative republican government. with a
distribution and balance OF powers, so
spond TO the real, deliberate judgment OF
the people, but which is strong enough
to protect the commonwealth from the
from transformation, passion or preJu-
dice. Their government was growth
continuity Of the Institutions which the
the American colonies had worked out
for the preservation OF that liberty ana
ipdsp sndenee which 70 them was dearer
1T YES the product 81 the best thought
and the highest statssmanshie OF the
American people The civilized world has
since done homage 70 their learning, their
wisdom and their practical common sense.
The cardinal principles Of the government
are simple q nice balance or powers, con-
lidence in Representatives who make,
lQQHGb llSldltCet anu lllslA dNlle
Who execute the law. Freedom from in
reference for period adequate TO enable
them TO demonstrate the fidelity with
which their tasks are discharged, and
accountability 70 the people when this
period is PASSED
But ioonoolAsts such as arise in all
ages thre4ten the overthrow OF this sys-
tenn. Already their destructive work has
been commenced ip many states. Opposl-
ton 20 them Is sousht to be discredited
by the cheap ala gssdy cry that those
who oppose the proposed, changes do not
trust the people The sponge and the
eraser Of the, eager social reformer ana
the more eager demagogue are set 20
work on the pakes 70 which we're APP
pended the Informal names of Hamilton.
FRANKLIN, Madison and Washington.
SO vociferous are theee iconoelasts and 50
apathetie the friends ana. supporters OF
constitutional government that one Is
tempted 70 share the fears OF Hamilton
that IL may be forgotten that the vigor
of government lie esaential 10 the security
OF liberty; that IN the contemplation OF a
sound and well informed judgment their
interest can nev Ar be separated and that
a dangeyous ambition more often turks
behind the specious mask OF zeal for the
rights Of the. people than under the for
mess and efficiencv. Of government
ton OF an individual tyrant accomplish
ing the overthrew of liberty in this eoun-
try seems grotesquely absurd and im-
possible. =. But the overthrow Of repre-
sentative republican governnent Of the