Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-08-18

tIouS TO select Judges TO cOnSCrue laws
and elections to determine whether
we like the way they construe them;
elections for men to execute the laws
and elections to execute the executors
II they do not execute to suit us. Mr..
PRESIDENT, we can not have too much
OF a good thing. The composite citi-
zen,' bearing upon his shield the in
spring device
Count that day lost whose low descend
ing sun
Views at thy hands no uplift voting
done
VIII unanimously and hilariously go
. INTO perpetual action. With nothing
TO do but feed and clothe a family of
SIX or eight or ten hearty, growing
children, the composite citizen" will
nave no difficulty in snatching a few
months OF time here and there during
the year to devote to these duties of
progressive citizenship, and his spare
moments can be utilized in reading,
studying, digesting, and perhaps I'M
uerstanding few volumes of pro-
posed initiative and referendum legis-
lation
GOVERNOR WILSON THEN AND
NOW.
A government of the people In a ter
r1tory OF vast extent, of large popu-
lat1on, and of great and increasing
diversity of pursuits and interests. can
be administered only by system OF
representation. 1t Is almost as i'm
possible for the people en- masse un-
der such circumstances to directly
perform the various functions of gov
eminent as it is for the human body
In its entirety to perform the func-
lions of the heart or the brain or the
lungs. In primitive state of society
the one may be done, as 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.
Mr.. Woodrow Wilson, in his very
valuable book, Unconstitutional Gov
eminent in the United States" has ex-
pressed the thought clearly and force
fully. He says:
A government must have organs; 1t
cannot act inorganically by masses. It
must have a laW-making BODY: it can no
more make law through it's voters than it
can make law through its 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 Vicc-President-D the sena-
tor from Utah yield to the senator
from Oregon?
Mr.. Sutherland do
Mr.. Chamberlain suppose the SEN
atOr has noticed that Mr.. Woodrow
Wilson has been candid enough to
say that he has changed his mind?
Mr.. Sutherland had observed that,
Mr.. President.
Mr.. Chamber1ain-But the senator
seems to be standing pat"
Mr.. Sutherland-That this view does
not seem to be shared by the governor
of New Jersey Is one of the peculiari-
ties of human psychology which | do
not attempt to explain. | can only say
that | prefer the calm, reflective judg-
ment of the college president to the
fevered Authorizations 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. II 1t should be con-
ceded-as 1t by no means can be-
that the initiative and referendum are
successful In Switzerland, the condi-
tons in that country differ so radical
ly from conditions here that it does
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 of
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-
tutional law, and there is only single
legislative chamber In each of the
cantons. But even under these condi
tons thoughtful men who have investf-
gated the matter agree that more
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 it has been employed 1t has not
promised either progress or enlighten-
ment, leading rather to doubtful expert
ments and to reactionary displays of
prejudice than to really useful legisla-
ton
He refers to the fact that In the
cantons of Zurich and Berne it led to
the adjustment of wise health reguIa-
tons; that in federal legislation 1t
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 SUBJ
mitted to the ballot is usually very light;
the referendum by no means creates that
quick interest in affairs which its orig
inators had hoped to see 1t excite. 1t
among legislators without in fact quick
enng the people to the exercise of any
real control In affairs.
If 1t 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