Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-03-26
INDIVIDUAL DEMOCRACY
DOES NOT APPEAL no
THIS ALBUQUERQUE MAN

for the presidency and other would.
tbe statesmen ohacgsod with the idea
OF their own political and economic
wisdom. who are laying down rules
for the guidance OF the general public.
These Inter day Saints and would
be refOrmers insist that candidates
for the presidency for senators 10
congress and. IA fnct. candidates Tor
all state Offices should be nominated
by direct primary vote and that ac.
ton shall be binding on the public
az large though usually not over ten
per cent OF the voters attend such
primaries They propose as q cure
al for the occasional occurrences Of
bribery and corruption IN atate logis.
intures and IN congress that We must
change uur republican representative
form OF government and substitute
therefor an irresponsible democracy
which haa been Justly characterized
by Archbishop Ireland as moboc
racy Such action would destroy az
one fell swoOp the safeguards that
The wise trainers az the constitution
instituted TO save as from the pas.
sious and capricos Of q temporary ma.
iority who were liable In time OF
excitement 10 tear down the bulwarks
OF safety that surround free people,
and render republican government
by-word and reprOach.
How ~ Il possible f0g the people
al large TO constitute shemselYes law
makers as well as doctors, lawyers
or scientlstsg Their duty Is to scloet
honest, capable and trustworthy rop-
resenativee and officials TO make and
administer the laws To this end the
people should have knowledge OF the
Qualifications and standing of the req
resentativea and through them select
two senators to represent them In the
halls Of congress The people can
easily determine the fitness and enar-
actor Of the candidates ioF tae iegis.
iatufe Of the state and lower house Of
congress because they are more nn.
merous and taken from Smaller areas,
but with the tNO senators az large
lonly an imperfect knowledge of their
fitness could be obtained.
Another iasurmoantable obstacle
0btrudes itself upon the successful
working OF the plan Of direct pri-
maries and the initiative, referendum
and recall. II Is an utter impossibliity
/ for the people al large to cast an IN
telligeRt vote at a general election
when they have 10 consider q ballot
containing twenty or more laws 20
constrpa and with 50 or more candi-
dates on Il 70 determine the fitness OF
and who are most OF them strangers.
The present primary system Is bad
lenough Heaven knows, bat why pro-
pose remedy that Is worse than the
disease?
The proper remedy Is for the peo-
pie to reform themselves, as Il Is an
acknowledged truism that the people
must be Judged by their chosen rulers.
Reforms can and should be instituted
but not by the destructive measures
proposed. A sensible remedy Is The
short ballot, and fewer elective ohl-
GERS Only governors and members
OF the legislature on one short ballot
ia be voted for az a general election.
Endow them with the appointing pow"
Ter and power Of selection Of all state
loflcers. with the selection OF senators
to congress the same as now, deter
mined by a majority on Joint ballot
.of the two houses. II the people at
large do their duty faithfully, then
the,' can safely trust In their own Sc
,ectlOns for governor and representa-
ltlves. II the voters neglect their
duty the fault Ia their own. II In sons
cases public servants are iaithless
and betray their trusts. short torn
and disgraceful retirement from Office
: will cure the difficulty. on che
D. contrary they prove trustworthy re-
| elect them or advance them TO olhce
OF greater honor, thus carrying out
the spirit OF the idea conveyed BY the
words Of holy writ--"Well done good
: and faithful servant, thou has been
faithful over a few things, viii make
thee ruler over many"
AS a Republican and ono who mas
faith In our present form OF govern
lmeni, the writer is decidedly opposed
TO the mistaken policy OF substituting
Therefor an individual democraes
/ with direct primaries for all elective
. Offices which is nothing but a straw
vote that can. as in the case OF Sen
ator stophsnson OF Wisconsin, b
manipulated by the corrupt use OF
I money. lie would remind the Demo
cratic party with It's progressive Re
r publican allies that they are not re.
= lfiecting the sentiments OF the trainers
sog the constitution, nor even those ol
, The fathers OF the declaration OF In
, dependence IN their mistaken efforts
for reform. In support OF the latter
assertion he respectfully quotes Q
, declaration OF Thomas Jefferson ~
. relation 10 the rights OF man. These
lare his words "Modernisms have the
signal advantage Of having discovered
me only device by which the rights
Of the people can be secured, to-wlt
. government by the people acting mo-
In person bur by representation
r chosen By themselves
n there Is any question as to m
Authenticity Of the foregoing quota
ton. reference may be had TO an ad
dress before the Catholic club OF New
York on December 10. 1911. By th'
Hon. Oscar W. Underwood, the Demo
cratic leader of the house OF repre-
sentatiyes who showed the taliael
LOT the initiative. referendum and re
lcall, claimed that Jefferson was dis
believer IN the theory and quoted hin
I accordingly.
= A. W. HARRIS.
Albuquerque. March IS, 1912.
y CHILDREN WHO ARE sICKLY.