Weekly journal-miner., 1911-05-10

own power. put this whole country into flame, because the whole country be- lieves that something is wrong and is eager to follow those who profess to be able to lead it away from its difficult ties. But it is all the more necessary that We should be careful who are our guides. The processes we are engaged in are fundamentally conservative pro cesses. If your tree is diseased it is no revolution to restore to it the pur- ity of its sap. to renew the soil that sustains it. to re-establish the condi- tions of its health. That is a process of life. of renewal, of redemption.
 There is no ground for alarm, there fore. We are bent upon a perfectly definite program. which is one of health and renewal.
 Let us ask ourselves very frankly what it is that needs to be corrected. To sum it all up in one sentence, it is the control of politics and of our life by great combinations of wealth. Men sometimes talk as if 1t were wealth we were afraid of, as if we were jeal- Ous of the accumulation of great for tunes. Nothing of the kind is true. America has not the slightest jealousy wealth. Everybody knows that there are hundreds and thousands of men of large means and large economic power who have come by it all perfect ly legitimately not only, but in q way that deserves the thanks and admira- tion of the communities they have served and developed. But everybody knows also that some of the men who control the wealth and have built up the industry of the country seek % control politics and also to dominate the life of common men in a way in which no man should be permitted to dominate.
 In the first place. there is the notori- ous oDeration of the bipartisan polit- icai machine; mean the machine which does not represent party princi- pie of any kind, but which is willing to enter into any combination, with whatever group of persons or of poll ties and of states and of the nation it. self in order to maintain the power of those who direct it. This machine is supplied with it's funds by the men selves against legislation which they do not desire and in order to obtain the legislation which is necessary for the prosecution of their purposes.
 The methods of our legislatures make the operation of such machines easy and convenient, for very little of our legislation is formed and effected by open debate upon the floor. Most all of it is framed in lawyers offices. dis cussed in committee rooms, passed without debate. Bills that the machine smothered in committee; measures which they do desire are brought out and hurried through their passage. It happens again and again that great
  in the hurried hours that mark the close of the legislative sessions. when every one is withheld from vigilance by fatigue and when it is possible to do secret things.
 When we stand in the presence of these things and see how complete and cry out with no little truth that we no longer have representative govern ment.
 Among the remedies proposed in re- . referendum in the field of legislation and the recall in the field of admins tration. These measures are supposed to be characteristic of the more radical be meant to change the very character of our government. They have no such purpose. Their intention is to restore, not to destroy. representative govern ment. It must be remembered by every candid man who discusses these mat ters. tat we are contrasting the oper- ation of the initiative and the referen- dunn not with the representative gov ernment which we possess in theory and which we have long persuaded our selves that we possessed in fact. but in contrast with the actual state of affairs. in contrast with legislative pro- cesses which are carried on in secret. responding to the impulse of subsidized machines and carried through by men whose unhappiness it is to realize that they are not their own masters. but puppets in a game.
 If We felt that We had genuine rep resentative government in our state initiative or referendum in America. They are being proposed now as a means of bringing our representatives back to the consciousness that what they are bound in duty and in mere policy to do is to represent the sover- eign people whom they profess to serve creep into their counsels by way of ma chine orders and committee confer ences. The most ardent and successful advocates of the initiative and referen- of obtaining genuine representative ac- tion on the part of legislative bodies They do not mean to set anything aside. They mean to restore and in fluence. rather.
 THE RECALL IS A MEANS OF ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL. IF PROPERLY REGULATED AND DE- VIsED IT IS A MEANS OF REsTOR- ING TO ADMINISTRATIVE OPTIC .IALS WHAT THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM RESTORE TO LEG ISLATORS-NAMELY. A SENSE OF DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE THEM
 THE RECALL OF JUDGES IS AN OTHER MATTER. JUDGES ARE NOT LAWMAKERS. THEY ARE NOT ADMINISTRATORS THEIR DUTY IS NOT TO DETERMINE WHAT THE LAW SHALL BE. BUT TO DETERMINE WHAT THE LAW IS. THEIR INDEPENDENCE. THEIR SENSE OF DIGNITY AND OF FREE DOM, IS OF THE FIRST CONSE- QUENCE TO THE STABILITY OF THE STATE. TO APPLY TO THEM THE PRINCIPLE OF THE RECALL IS TO SET UP THE IDEA THAT DETERMINATIONS OF WHAT THE