The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-03-29
JUDGE WARNER ON THE INITIA-
TIVE AND REFERENDUM
Ocala, Fla, March %. 1911:

Ocala, Fla, March %, 1912.
To the Editor Ocala Banner:
! Probably the most potent factor in
forming public sentiment is the local
newspaper. The editor, often a per-
sonal friend of the most of his con-
stituency, is, in the imagination of his
people, lowered with sagacity far
beyond ordinary mortals, and the in
tellectual pap" with. which he feeds
his Stockings" may enlarge, color or
distort thei rmental vision Editors
ought to be, and, be it said to their
credit, generally are, perfectly willing
TO admit both sides of an argument
to their columns, and l am proceed
/, ing upon the assumption that the
Banner in attacking the initiative,
referendum and recall, is honestly
striving to vicariously save the peo-
pie from their own folly, and that
| the editor would willingly admit an
opposing argument, if there be an ar
gument.
Many years ago had the honor to
enter political campaign as DEM
ocratic candidate in a field over
whelmingly republican, and my tocsin
of war was this same recall, then in
its youth, and long before it had
reached its present popularity. All
Itbe grade dissertations oi.ich the
Banner solemnly serves up against it
have seen many years ago, when the
public temper was as decidedly
against the referendum as it is dis
tinctly in favor of it now. Grade So
Ions solemnly shook their heads and
denounced the measure as socialist
ic,' revolutionary" demonstrations
al mot in the books and predict
ed dire disasters should the people
have the unheard of audacity to ask
their hired men to become actually
responsible to their employers. 1t
was "agin the dignity" of legislators,
after they had sold out to the Inter
ests," not to be able to deliver the
loot. Judicial wigs would become all
awry if the people occasionally re-
buked corrupt decisions" eff this
weapon were placed in the hands of
the proletariat he must necessarily
run amuck and murder friend or foe
alike" Just as when we deputize
constable to preserve the peace and
arm him with gun, he Immediately
starts down the street shooting wo-
men and children.
The argument for the initiative and
referendum is based not so much on
the assumption that any specific ac-
ton set up by it would be technically
correct, as, that the general tendency
of such responsibility would tend to-
wards a higher level of statecraft
among the proletariat Just as it is
not so necessary that a babe be sue
cessful in its first attempts to walk,
as that it keep on trying.
There, are two ideals of govern
ment, Numerically opposed to each
other. The one assumes that govern
ment is something handed down from
above; the other that it is an eyolu-
/ ton from below. One advocate de-
tends the divine rights of kings and
aristocrats, thinks the common peo-
! pie incapable of projecting safe leg
islative measures; the other says
that a stream cannot rise higher than
| it's source that a representative gov
eminent, to endure, must be rooted
in the broad intelligence and high in
| tegrity of it's constituent units.
1t is the boast of the south that
she is conservative. If by conserva-
tism is meant the profound sagacity
that refuses to be dazzled by peanut
politics and "catchpenny schemes"
then the south is to be congratulated.
But conservativeism may be carried
too far, and become only form of
| pa diy oAo. NSAA - 1890
would consign us to the WITHDRAWING
| theology of Jonathan Edwards, the
astronomy of Ptolemy, and the cos
mogony of Moses. If Detroit, by its
radicalism, has been able to furnish
three-fourths of all the automobiles
for the whole country, and MISSISSIPPI
pi, by her conservativeness, raises
cotton with a one-horse pillow, then l
cannot find it in me to bubble over
with enthusiasm for such conserva-
| tism.
Times have changed, and the con-
sentative who looks longingly back
ward to past governmental ideals, who
thinks that wisdom died with Wash
ington and Jefferson, who regards
written constitutions as unchanged
BILE, like a sort of political Adam,
which, having sinned, would make all