Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1912-01-15
THE ROOSEVELT PEOPLES COURT


In remarkable article in the Outlook Mr.
Roosevelt advocates appeals from the highest
courts of Justice to the court of public opinion
on specific decisions He would have the masses
of the voters gnorent of the law decide tech
meal points of law regarding constitutional ques-
tons But he does not follow his subject to its
logical conclusion, which would be the over
throw of true representative government and the
destruction of that balance of power between the
executive the Legislative and judicial branches
upon which the constitution and government of
this country is founded Because a particular
decision is displeasing to him he would sweep
the whole afbrc away and substitute for it the
will of the mob to be exercised without thought
restraint
Perhaps the greatest weakness of our system
OF government today is that the people are called
upon to vote for too many public servants or
officials and on too many questions. 1t
is conceded by all, except machine politicians,
that the average voter knows nothing of most
Of the men for whom he is asked to mark the
blanket ballot that casts his ballot for the names
at the head of the ticket of his choice and the
machine decides who the rest shall be.
When it comes TO voting list of questions
submitted for the approval Of the electorate mat
tiers still worse
Representative government, at its best, means
the election of few able men TO do the work of
the people, men who give time and thought
officials Put responsibility in few hands and
hold them TO strict account The growth in
favor of city government is due entirely to n
realization and approval of this principle
Yet Mr. Theodore Roosevelt would still fur
Their befog the average vote at the polls by
asking him to decide questions of law Of which
he is far less able to judge Only in times of
popular excitement would the voters take an
interest in such matters and then we would no
longer have government of laws but of mob
rule We might then have votes taken TO out
law maefactor Of great wealth" and to dis
tribute their property among tohse that had not
created wealth The promise is loot would be as
powerful an incentive to injustice in this country
il was at least twice in the history of France.
There precedents which Mr. Roosevelt appears
TO have overlooked
II the people at large come to disapprove the
exercise by the courts of the powers now vested
IN them they change the constitutions The
constitution of this country has been amended
several times and once or twice in the heat
Of passion and for party purposes and sober
aftcrthoueht has caused thinkers to doubt the
wisdom OF some of the amendments But will
the change Mr.. Roosevelt advocates asks the New
York Commercial. if il comes. stop at the judicial
question The president of this country is the
most autoeratie ruler in the world and his
cabinet is independent Of congress Reformers
might ask that the members of the cabinet be
chosen from the bodies Of the two houses of con.
gress and from the ranks Of the party in the
majority Then, IN Great Britain they could
be questioned at any time On the floor of the
house or the senate aud the executive rs well as
the Judicial branch Of our government might be
suhordnaied to the legislative branch. as is the
ease IN most other countries possessing eousti-
iutional and representative government Once 81
SCI the balance between the three aud othcr
changes would probably follow.
Wllh upportuniiT % heesle memhegs az tho
cabinet the floor the debates IN the h0u,s
of representative would become rs lively al
tho,e "a the house ~ commons when members
are ~ the warpath
Mr. Roosevelt proposes the trial 81 ne experi
ment ~ the state Of New York bat Il could not
ne'"p There lie = shocked at the conflict n