The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-03-13

W IEL2h lnEAI E0XLnIEW
and reward their friends- Instead OF
becoming . remedy for existing evils
Il viii Of itself become . greater evil
In years 70 come n Win prevent good
men from accepting ooice ana place
. club In he hands OF professional
politicians and special i~pterests-
over every courageous and hoasst
Official.
Then the terms Of most officers
are short. and the people get Q
chance at them often anyway.
Another objection to the recall
the people will become careless Z
they may rely upon { In the selection
Of their officers. Some candidate win
come along. one whom they doubt
but they will say: 'Oh. no difference:
II he doesn't do right we can recall
him."
The most serious objections. how
ever. are the recall Of judges. viii
not say hat all judges are infallfble.
and that they do not make mistakes;
but the recall 10 not the remedy.
Mr.. Roosevelt in his Columbus
speech cites certain cases In which
he would have favored the recall Of
the judges. Most of US will agree
with him that IL the courts were
right In their Interpretation Of the
law. then the law was wrong. And
We must leave the power to interpret
laws to the courts. The obvious rem
edy then is o to recall the judges.
but amend the laws. In any OF the
cases cited by Mr.. Roosevelt a change
In the laws would be much more
effective than a recall OF the judges.
Judges should never be recalled be-
cause they made a mistake. but a
means should be provided for their
removal from office where they are
guilty OF wrongs. or incompetent.
The means for their removal should
be simple. and such Is cannot be de-
layed.
Our f~orefathers when they framed
the Constitution wisely provided that
the legislative, executive and judicial
departments OF the government
should be forever kept separate. To
permit h recall Of public officials
absolutely unites these three depart
ments. n destroys the great balance
a OF our government. II means
the beginning of the end OF our Re-
publican form of government.
III We are to have the initiative and
dhu the recall. We
have united the three functions OF the
three different departments of govern.
ment in the same identical source. and
their am OF execution is exactly
the same. Under the initiative the
people make the law. Under the re-
call. IL the Judge does not construe
the law Just as the people want, II
construed. they recall him and elect
n who will. Thus they are not
bound to stand by the la We they them.
selves have made by direct vote. They
may put any construction I n them
they please. There is absolutely no
check upon the majority. A majority
do not need constitutions or laws
They can always protect themselves.
Might makes right. but we must re.
member the largest part of the ma
jority OF to-day may become the min.
GRITTY OF tomorrow.
The recall will add uncertainty and
CONFUSION TO our laws. No man will
Know what the law may be tomorrow.
a person may be a law-abiding citi.
zen today and outlaw tomorrow.
Everyone u admit that public
opinion is changing from day 10 day.
IL Is well that IL does. for without
II there would be no progress. II pub
nc opinion from day TO day is to be
substituted for certain rules of con-
Duct. then the minority have no rights
mat the majority are bound TO respect
A majority can send n man TO fail
without a trial or without reason. and
they can keep him there Just as long
as Z majority wants 70 keep him there.
II we are TO be guided only by the
wishes and whims OF the majority.
n French Revolution is a good
example or rule by majorities. One
DAY a majority would send a number
TO the g~uillotine: the next day those
who had been the executioners the dav
before would be sent to the guiIlotine
themselves. Thus the streets OF Paris
ran red with blood. All this was done
In the name OF liberty. and by the ex.
ercise OF the power OF the majority.
President Taft has very well said
mat a peoples fitness for self govern.
ment may be determined by the
amount OF restraint the majority is
wiling TO place upon themselves.
so You see on many things I agree
win president Taft: on many ! agree
with ex-President Roosevelt. 7 have
no criticism OF Taft's sincerity ana
honesty OF purpose. ! concede 10
every person the right 10 upport him
Just as j claim the right 10 support
Nr. Roosevelt favor Mr. Roosevelt
because think he has n greater and
broader view OF things national than
Mr. Taft In fact. Mr.. Roosevelt is
the only man In either party who
seems 10 grasp the situation from A
national standpoint. He IL the only
one against whom there ~ no sec.
uonai feeling
favor him also because he ha. the
confidence % he people. and when he
says halt. they ssr willing % lis,en
he vii divert thousands and thou
sands from Socialism. and VIII rsve
ourselves from ourselves A. para.
doricai 81 u may seem. the true con
sentative 40 well N ths progressive
stands for Rooasrslt
Respectfuiiv yours