Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-03-22

/ es would probably have ensued. The |
probabilities are that George Wash
! ington would have been recalled at
/ the time of the great excitement when |
] he took his stand land a wise and |
proper stand it was), against the
/ French Representative Genet, greatly |
| to the straining of his popularity. |
James Madison would have been in |
serious peril during the intense polit- !
! ical excitement and agitation, that
/ preceded in the year 1912, the war
with England. 1t would have been |
easy to have made Grover Cleveland a |
victim in the summer of 1898, when, |
against his party, he was making his
splendid fight for a financial system,
| which is now regarded as safe and
SOU q. L. O. c. Lamar would have
/ been recalled when he voted against
the Bland silver BILL notwithstanding
the positive and peremptory instruc-
lions of both Houses of the Legisla-
ture of Mississippi, demanding that he
vote for the bill; the same body that
passed a resolution commencing his
colleague, Bruce, the colored senator.
who was in favor of the bill, and who,
according to the Legislature of Mis-
sissippi, represented properly Missis-
sippi rather than Lamar. The conduct
of the Legislature furnishes a disgrace
full page in the history of the state A
| political wave had swept over the
! country and sane advisers were at a
| discount. The very men, who, in the
! heat of their foolish anger, would have
1 recalled Lamar and deprived his state
and country of his magnificent ser
mar was right and they were wrong,
vices, would have soon seen that La
but the mischief of the recall would
have been done.
THE Constitution of Georgia en-
! bodies the same high ideas of the duty
of a representative. Each senator and
representative, before taking his seat,
must take an oath, or affirmation, to
support the Constitution of this state
and of the United States, and must
swear Quoting the OATH ION all ques-
tons and measures, which may come
before me, | will so conduct myself as
will, in my judgment, be most conduc-
i've to the interests and prosperity OF
this state" This makes it his sworn
duty to be governed by his Judgment,
and not by the judgment of his con-
stituents. The observance Of the oath
does not make a sensible representa-
tive land 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 his judgment and consci-
ence so reuire If he understands that
he can be recalled whenever he dis
pleases the people, or such minority
of them as these recall measures US
ually provide for, then he will become
mere employee whose chief business
it is to obey the commands of the en-
ployer, whether he approves them or
not. Certainly high-class, independ-
ent 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 immeasurably more
difficult if Mr.. Wilson's views be-
come dominant in this country.
1T seems to me that the principles
of the initiative, referendum and re-
call are utterly opposed not only to
our representative form of govern
ment, but particularly to the tradi-
tons and sentiments of the South. 1t
is amazing to me that Southern men
and Southern editors are quick to in
dorse a man who advocates such prin-
ciples. We have always stood for the
Constitution, and, therefore, for a
representative form of government
We haev been opposed always to new
fads in government, in religion and in
society. They smack of the Wild and
Woody West rather than of the con-
sentative South. An able writer on
this general subject, in tracing the
recall, says that 1T made its appear
ance in the local field in Los Angeles
in 1908. From what particular source
1t emanates is not positively known
That it came fpom the same socialistic
group of agitators who have been
working in behalf of direct legislation
and who first made themselves prom
inent while the afrmers' alliance
movement was tlourishing ic sertain. ~"
When the primary is over Roosevelt
will look around in a stupefied way