New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-15
Example to the World.

The part Of the Constitution which
created federal government and de-
ternined the rights Of the states has
had the unqualified admiration of all po-
litlcal thinkers, Mr.. Bryce said. adding:
In particular you have shown the world
how it is possible to reconcile national
unity with the existence OF local selt-
government in larger and In smaller
communities over the immense spaces Of
q continent. "A problem which a century
and n half ago every one would have
thought insouble. Thus has the Con-
stituton Of the United States become by
the example Of its working and the halo
Of fame which now surrounds II, one OF
tho vitalizinS forces Of the world. Let
MS honor the memory or the illustrious
men who rendered this Incompatible and
enduring service, not only TO you, but
20 all mankind.
Attorney General Wickersham sug
gested reformers might consider care
fully the causes OF their dissatisfaction
and then ascertain whether the evils
might not be cured without destruction
Of cherished institutions.
II was. perhaps, the excess OF praise
of the virtues Of the Constitution, he
said. that was partly responsible for the
establishment OF q iDutin t'HOOl W PO-
litical thought that in the Constitution
found little to praise. much TO criticise
and a great deal to alter. Constitution
tinkering would be the inevitable result
of reducing constitutions to the category
of statutes, he said. and pointed 10
Oregon. where the constitution has been
amended twelve times between 1902 and
1910
The tendencies OF this new school can
not be ignored, Mr. Wickersham added,
as too many people have become adj
herents OF II to n certain degree, ana "
now devolves upon every citizen to study
the causes OF this discomfort, to provide
remedies that will remove the evil with
out destroying the fabric Of the govern
ment that has 80 long and 30 we'll served
the needs OF the American civilization.
Mr.. Wickersham continued:
The modern changes in government are
framed In "A profound distrust OF those
who are to exercise the powers of the
state, and the vast detail OF the new CON
situations, the enormous NUMBER OF cleo
tive offices. the shortness OF terms anu
the uncertainty OF tenure only empha-
size the same point vi view. No govern
ment so founded and SO maintained can
long exist.
II Ia. | think, safe TO say that every
one of the evils OF modern politics is
susceptible of removal within the nmits
of our established forms of constitutional
government without destruction OF Ito
representative republican character Party
machinery Is. of course. wholly unre-
strlcted bv the framework OF the Con-
sttution. But the needed reforms can not
be accomplished and perpetuated on tne
one hand by any short cut 10 polluSai
happiness, such as reformers eager ger t op
popular applause would suggest; nor. Oh
the other hand without the abandonment
by every citizen OF that apathy which
results, in the face OF even a clamor9us
public campaign In less than majority
OF the electorate voting upon propositions
TO radically change the Fundamental law
of a state Above all, there is no easy
way of securing good government Inc
virtuous citizen who thinks he can secure
political Utopia by merely signing postal
card of a petition may some day AWAKEN
10 the discovery that he has lost all that
makes for stability I'm government ana tI'e
nraintenanco of right 10 life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.