The Green Forest tribune., 1912-03-01

which these ends are to be achieved; and here again remember l only sketch in outline and do not for mo. ment pretend to work out in detail the methods of achieving your purposes. Let me at the outset urge upon you to remember that, while machinery is important, 1t Is easy to overestimate its importance; and, moreover, that each community has the absolute right to determine for itself what that ma chtnery shall be, subject only to the fundamental law of the nation as eX- pressed in the Constitution of the Uni ted States. In the first place, believe in the short ballot. You can not get good service from the public servant if you cannot see him, and there is no more effective way of hid ing him than by mixing him up with multitude of others so that they are none of them important enough to catch the eye of the average, worka- day citizen. The professional politi- clan and the professional lobbyist thrive most rankly under a system which provides a multitude of cleo tive officers, of such divided responsi- bility and of such obscurity that the public knows, and can know, but little as to their duties and the way they perform them. The people have noth- ing whatever to fear from giving any public servant power so long as they retain their own power to hold him accountable for his use of the power they have delegated to him.
 believe in providing for direct nom- nations by the people, including there in direct preferential primaries for the election of delegates to the national nominating conventions.
 I believe in the election of United States senators by direct vote. Just as actual experience convinced our people that presidents should be elected Gas they now are in practice although not in theory) by direct vote of the people instead of by direct vote through an untrammeled electoral col lege. so actual experience has con vinced us that senators should be elected by direct vote of the people instead Gf indirectly through the Yar1- ous legislatures.
 I believe in the initiative and the referendum, which should be used not to destroy representative government, but to correct it whenever it becomes misrepresentative. Here again l am concerned not with theories but with actual facts If in any state the peo- nI y1yi+1 thoir present representative system, then 1t Is of course their right to keep that system unchanged; and it is nobody's business but theirs. But in actuat practice 1t has been found in very many states that legislative bodies have not been responsive to the popu- lar will. Therefore I believe that the state should provide for t-4o possibility of direct popular action in order to make good such legislative failure.
 AS to the recall, I do not believe that there is any great necessity for it as regards short-term elective of fcers. On abstract grounds I was originally inclined to be hostile to it. I know of one case where it was ac- tually used with mischievous results. On the other hand, in three cases in municipalities on the Pacific coast which have come to my knowledge it was used with excellent results. l believe it should be generally pro vided, but with such restrictions as will make it available only when there is a widespread and genuine public feeling among a majority of the voters.
 Believes in Popular Government.
 Many eminent lawyers who more or less frankly disbelieve in our entire American system of government for, by. and of the people violently an- tagonize this proposal. They believe, and sometimes assert, that the Amer ican people are not fitted for popular government, and that it is necessary to keep the judiciary independent of the majority or of all the people," that there must be no appeal to the people from the decision of a court in any case; and that therefore the judges are to be established as sover- eign rulers over the people. I take absolute issue with all those who hold such position. I regard it as a com plete negation of our whole system ! of government; and if it became the dominant position in this country, it would mean the absolute upsetting of both the rights and the ruln of the people.
 I do not say that the people are in fallible. But do say that our whole history shows that the American peo- pie are more often sound in their de- cisions than is the case with any of the governmental bodies to whom, for their convenience, they have dele | gated portions of their power If this is not so, then there is no justification for the existence of our government; /; and if 1t is so, then there is no justl- | fieation for refusing to give the peo- pie the real, not merely the nominal, ultimate decision on questions of con- stitutional law
 The Best In Life.