The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-03-29

| judgment, be most conducive to the
interests and prosperity of the state.
This makes it his sworn duty to be
governed by his judgment and not by
the judgment of his constituents. The
observance of the oath does not make
a sensible representative (and the
people need not choose any other
kind Indifferent to the views of his
constituency. He will weigh them
carefully and not oppose them unless
4 his judgment and conscience so re-
quire If he understands that he can
| be recalled whenever he displeases
the people, or such minority of them
as these recall measures usually pro-
vide for, then he will become a mere
employee whose chief business it is
! to obey the commands of the employ
er, whether he approves them or not.
Certainly high class, independent
men, the type of men who ought to
be put in office, will not accept re-
sponsible office, if they are subject to
recall. 1t is difficult now, with short
terms of office, to secure the best type
of men. 1t will be UNNECESSARILY
more difficult if Mr.. Wilson's views
become dominant in this country.
1T seems to me that the principles
| af h. ;,,i+
call are utterly opposed not only to
our representative form of govern
ment, but particularly to the tradi-
tions and sentiments of the south. 1t
is amazing to me that southern men
and southern editors are quick to in
dorse man who advocates such prin-
ciples. We have always stood for the
constitution, and, therefore, for a
representative form of government
We have been opposed always to new
fads in government, in religion and
in society. They smack of the wild
and woolly west rather than of the
conservative south An able writer
on this general subject, in tracing the
recall, says that it made it's appear
ance in the local field in Los Angeles
in 1903. From what particular source
it emanates is not positively known.
That it came from the same social
istic group of agitators who have
been working in behalf of direct leg
islation and who first made them
selves prominent while the farmers
alliance movement was fiourishing is
certain
1T is no answer to say that the
principles of the initiative, referen-
! dunn and recall may not amount to
anything, practically, in the coming
presidential election. The nomination
of distinguished advocate of these
principles by a great party must, ne
cessarily, greatly encourage their pro-
pagation. If not regarded as an en-
dorsement, it will at least show that
the people who favor the nomination
of Mr.. Wilson have no serious objec-
ton to his views on these vital ques-
tons. A man who regards them as
unsound and pernicious cannot logi-
cally or consistently advocate for the
high office of president of these Unit
!, ed States candidate who avows
these principles. If they are unim-
portant, or if the evil connected with
their advocacy and recognition seem
, to be slight, the case would be differ
} ent. But, just now, with socialism in
the air, and with the foundations of
} representative government being
shaken, we ought to pause before
putting forward as our standard bear
er and representative a man who adj
vocates this character of legislation.
The people have sufficient power
now, in that they elect for short
terms and need not re-elect an I'M
worthy or improbable representative.
This ought to be sufficient, particu-
larry when added to this power is the
power, in urgent cases, of impeacn-
ment
/ II would like to discuss the policy
of the initiative of which Mr.. Will
son is also an advocate, but l must
not trespass too much on your val
liable space. | will, however. with
your permission, endorse a quotation
from a distinguished American:
"'Do not overlook the exceedingly
important fact that all those who are
uniting to urge upon us this trans
formation of our form of government
invariably propose to put these in
strumentalities of a direct democracy
into operation upon the initiative of
a very small fraction of the electo-
rate What a gloriOuS time IL would