The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-03-14
Incompatible Demagogy.

I .
Tie Theory Of the Columbus Speech of
Conception no Sane Man Ever Harbored
Before Worthy of Jack Cade.
From the New York Journal of Commerce
and Commercial Bulletin. Ind't]
Judicious admirers of the past career
of ex-President Roosevelt must have
been made to grieve sorely by that ex-
traordinary proposal Of an appeal from
JUDICIAL decisions to a popular vote on
great constitutional questions. Nothing
comparable to it in demagogic spirit has
appeared since the days of Cleon of
Athens, and we have not so poor an
opinion of the American people as to be-
lleve that their sresponse to it will be
favorable, though it may catch the fancy
OF those leaders of the mob who call
themselves Socialists and profess to be-
lieve that divine right has passed from
kings to crowds.
If this extraordinary balderdash had
appeared anonymously to what source
would conjecture have credited it, say
ten years ago, or even two years ago?
Certainly to no man of sound mind, Of
university training and experience in
public life. This is conception of popu-
lar government that no such man ever
harbored before, and which no man of
everyday common sense can accept now.
How DO the people show "enough intelll-
gence to frame and adopt constitu-
ton? By choosing men of ability, of
knowledge of history and political in
situations, of solid intellectual attain
meats and training for the task, to do
the work for them which they know that
Ivy do
selves, which the sane among them do
not pretend that they can do for them
selves. Are they more capable collec-
lively of applying and interpreting the
constitution, which has been made, not
by themselves but by their selected dele
gates, when complicated controversies
arise under it? None of those who re-
tain their senses pretend that they are
competent for anything of the kind or
can be made so by few months of dis
cussion. The mass Of voters are not pre-
pared for the specific duties of framing
constitutions, enacting statutes, or judi
cially interpreting and applying them,
and to invite them to overturn the work
of the trained men who have been chosen
by them to perform such duties is sheer
madness.
This conception of popular government
is worthy of that champion of divine
right, Jack Cade. The people have their
diversities Of capacity and character,
their differences of aptitude and training,
their varied occupations that absorb
their time and thought, and they are
presumed to have enough intelligence
to choose men fit to exercise the
various functions of public life and
administer an organized system of
government which shall fairly repre-
sent their will and conserve their
interests. 1t is by their choice of dele
gates and representatives and of "ser-
wants, if you will, that they show their
capacity for self-government, and not by
undertaking to supervise and correct the
work themselves. They do not pretend
to be their own statesmen and judges
any more than their own lawyers, their
own physicians, their own architects and
engineers, their own artists and their
own managers of banking. transportation
and industrial operations. There is no
function requiring higher degree of
mental ability; more learning, more
special education and training, or more
experience and fidelity for it's best exer-
else, than that of the jurst. Nowhere
is there greater need of adhering to the
maxim, "Crede experto" trust the ex-
pert. The people are intelligent enough
to understand this, and to know that
popular government does not mean, and
cannot in this age of the world mean,
legislation or the administration of
justice by popular vote.