The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-08-10

represents ton. 1t is almost as i'm
possible for the people en- masse un-
der such circumstances to directly
perform the various functions of gov
ernment as 1T is for the human body
in lis entirety to perform the fuEc
tions or the heart or the brain or the
lungs. In primitive state of society
the one may be done, IS in the most
primitive forms of life the other may
be done. but as society becomes COM
pick and as the forms of animal life
become complex organs to discharge
special functions are necessary.
MIR. Woodrow Wilson, in his very
valuable book Constitutional Gov
eminent in the United States" has ex
pressed the thought clesrly and force
fully. He says:
government must have organs; II
cannot act inorganically BY masses. II
must have law-making body; IL can no
more make law through it's voters than it
can make law through it's newspapers.
Thus spoke the president of Prince
ton university, in the days of his tran
quillity, before the micrObe OF polit-
ical ambition invaded his system
Mr.. Chamberlain-Mr President
The Vice-President-D the sena-
tor from Utah yield to the senator
from Oregon?
Mc. .Ncierland-I do.
Mr.. C1s-harlain--I suppose the sen
ator has notice. * Mr. Woodrow
Wilson has beel "andid enough TO
say that he has changed his mind?
Mr. Sutherland had observed that.
Mr. President
Mr.. Chamberlain-But the senator
seems to be standing pat"
Mr. Sutherland-That this view does
not seem to De shared by the governor
of New Jersey is one of the peculiari-
ties of human psychology which do
not attempt to explain. | can only sav
that l prefer the calm, reflective judg-
ment of the college president TO the
fevered hallucinaiions of the hopeful
presidential candidate. Those who in
dorse his later utterances. reversing
the ancient epigram. are simply ap
pealing from Philip sober to Philip
drunk.
Those who favor the initiative and
referendum are in the habit of refer
ring to the Swiss experiment with
those methods If it should be con-
ceded-as it by no means can be
ludl Tic lDlllutlNc duu lCiCl al
successful in Switzerland, the condi
tons in that country differ so radica
ly from conditions here that 1t doe
not follow that they would be sue
Cessful in the United States.
The cantons in Switzerland are
small in area and in population. The
people are essentially homogeneous
and conservative Their legislative
needs are few and simple. None oil
the legislative checks which exist I'M
der our system of government exist
there There is no executive veto. no
judicial power of setting aside consti-
tutiCral law. and there is only single
legislative chamber in each of the
cantons. But even urdeT these cond'-
tons thoughtful men who have inyesti-
gated the matter agree that lore
harm than good has resulted from
their employment.
Mr. Wilson. already quoted, has Civ
en- the subject very thorough and care
full investigation. Speaking OF the ref
erendum, he says:
Where il has been employed IL has not
promised either progress OF enlighten-
ment. leading rather to doubtful expert
ments and TO reactionary displays of
prejudice than to really useful leSisia-
lion.
He refers to the fact that in the
cantons of Zurich and Berne it led to
the adjustment of wise health regrla-
tions: that in federal legislation II
was used only to aim blow at the
Jews under the guise of law for
bidding the slaughter of animals by
bleeding. He says:
The vote upon most measures sub
mitted to the ballot is usually very light:
there ia not much popular discussion. and
the referendum b. no means creates that
quick interest in affairs which its orig
inators had hoped TO see II excite. 1t
has dulled the sense of responsibility
among legislators without in fact quick
ening the people TO the exercise of any
real control In affairs.
Ii it has thus failed in the compare
lively simple affairs of small Switzer-
land, how much more dismal must be
the failure in this country, with its
vast and complex affairs.
The experience of every state In the
Union where the referendum Is in
force. even as to constitutional amend
ments, is that Notwithstanding the
comparative simplicity of the Ques-
tons submitted, only about one-half
or two-thirds of the people voting for
candidates cast their votes for or
against the proposed amendments.
| The remainder from ignorance or in.
difference, do not attempt TO pass
upon the questions at all, and even of
those voting it is safe to assume that
no very large proportion have really
taken the time to study and under
stand the questions submitted. | know
| from my own observation that OF the
DerSOnS who vote one way or the other
many vote against proposed constitu
tional amendments because they have
not taken the trouble to inform them
selves as to the merits, and, on the
other hand, many others vote for the
amendments without understanding
them and wholly on the strength OF
somebody's statement that they are
all right. In a recent election held n
South Dakota, Ii proposed laws were
submitted to the people under the ref
| erendum and every one of them were
rejected at the polls, not because they
were all bad. but because, as | am In
formed upon high authority, the mass
Of the people would not take the
trouble to distinguish between the
good and the bad, but vote against
them all In utter disgust at the unwel
come task which they had been called
upon to perform.
| THE PEOFEE LOSE INTEREST.
All the objections which apply to
the modern referendum apply with In
creased force to the initiatives; and,
In addition, there is the further obJec,
ton that the proposed law Is not even
4 g.