Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-07-06
Ex Secretary Ballinger in
Fourth Of July Address Ad-
v0cates Conservatism
HAS FEARS FOR FUTURE
Criticises Recall, Initiative and
Referendum and Progress
i've Measures

The Grand Theater was filled to
overflowing Tuesday morning with
people anxious to hear the speech of
ex-Secretary Richard A. Ballinger, of
Seattle. Attorney J. B. Bridges pre-.
sided. After a selection by the Abb
erdeen City band and the invocation
by Father Quain, T. B. Bruener read
the Declaration of Independence. The
band then played the Star Spangled
Banner" the audience rising during
the playing. Mr.. Bridges then intro
duced Mr.. Ballinger. The former Sec
retary's speech was formal one, last
ing for nearly three quarters of an
hour. He read from printed manu-
script, at times, however, developing
his point with extempOraneOus re-
marks. Rev. r. E. Cooper pronounc-
ed the benediction.
Reserving comment for the editorial
column, We reproduce Mr.. Ballinger's
speech with some omissions:
Early statesmen's Methods.
"Our whole political system was
planned chiefly as the means by
which the people could regulate the
exercises of their liberties. 1t is in
teresting and instructive to consider
the steps and methods pursued by the
early statesmen by which they under
took to establish permanently 'repub-
lican liberty q quote this term, as
it was used by both Washington and
Jefferson.) In general they were, by
the Declaration of Independence from
the tyrany of George III, by the
Articles of Confederation and by the
Constitution of the United States.
Keenly appreciative of the struggles
involved in acquiring civil liberty,
the builders of the republic jealously
guarded against any form of tyranny
that could flow from popular govern
ment, and in this their principal aim
was to construct the constitution as
q shield to the minority against the
tyranny Of the majority.
Innovation Of Recall.
There have been, it is true, in
stances of the tyranny of the major
ity party in the exercise of the legis-
lative and administrative branches of
the government, but only for brief
periods, and then only through the
disregard of constitutional restraints
and a due observance of the obliga-
tions of public officers. For the time
being the tyranny of the majority
may be said to have ceased to be
source of danger to the republic. We
are now witnessing in many of our
municipalities, as well as state gov
ernments, an innovation in the power
extended to electors for the recall of
officers pending their terms OF serv-
ice. This doctrine in practice will
result in reversing the dangers anti
cipated in our federal constitution by
II. III, in, No I'M
ity which will have the effect of
destroying in the popular representa-
tive any sense of courage of personal
conviction. There can be no stabil-
ity in governmental administration
under such conditions. In his first
inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln
said: "By the form of the govern
ment under which we live this same
people have wisely given their pub
lie servants but little power for mis-
chief, and have with equal wisdom
provided for the return of that little
to their own hands at very short in
tervals. While the people retain
their virtue and vigilance, no admin
istration by any extreme of wicked
ness or folly can very seriously injure
the government in the short space of
four years Another source of dan
ger appears in the tyranny of the ad-
ministrative officer through the ex-
tension and Capitalization of nation
al functions over those of state and
locality, resulting in the creation of
an unresponsive and unsystematic
body of public servants. This results
from several causes, but principally
through the growth of bureaucracy.
Rrights Scoffed At.
"There never was time in our
national history when men intrusted
with public duties had so little re-
gard for individual rights and dared
to treat the people with whom they
come in contact in as arbitrary
manner as at the present time. Legal
rights are frequently scoffed at and
frowned upon by the federal agent,
as we'll as by his bureaucratic SUP
erior, and cabals exist to intimidate
and Cypress the citizen who seeks to
exercise rights under federal laws.
"Is our constitution Obsolete
Constitution Not Obsolete.
Some men profess to believe that
the constitution has served its pur-
pose: that it has become obsolete;
that in all things direct appeal to
the people, unrestrained by the
checks of constitutional law, is whole
some and most responsive to the Will
of the people. They will have to re-
member as Disraeli says, that very
wise statesmen have been of the
opinion that there is no more dan
gerous and feeble characteristic OF
state than to perpetually be dwelling