Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-18

treaty-yearS- after class and nothing
seemed to fit T. r. except the general
democracy and progressiveneSs of T. J.
You see, I. j. was not a bull moose.
He wasn't even an elk. The good old
Latin word "cervus," which stood for
deer, held for him no significance. And
he would probably have regarded it
as a call from the people and have
spelled it serve us" He was the
servant of the people, not their war
rior. There were no san Juans in his
history. In brief, he mad no horns.
How then to tap T. ]. for T. r.
Only my faith in this Shakespeare or
day. I found letter of his to John
Taylor containing these reDlarka Die
line: My opinion originally was that
the president of the United state.
shouid have been elected for seven
years, and be forever ineligible after
ward. | have since become sensible
that seven years is too long to be
irremovable and that there should be
a peaceable way of withdra wing 4 man
in midway who is doing wrong" A
peaceable way, Not by war of words
and battle of passions and a muck
rake. Not by impeachme ent, which rests
on crime or its equivalent. There should
be a way to withdraw him midway
How withdraw him? Impeachment is
knocking out! T. J. means the man
should be recalled from the White
House to private life-by the people;
and there should be some peaceabie
way; some way not then or now pro-
vided by the constitution.
Here, then, is the principle of recall
beyond even T. RS demand The chief
executive of the nation, under the JEFF
fersonian plan, could be yanked out
of his chair and deposited in his old
private rocker on the front porch at
Cross Keys or Smiths Corners by the
f1utter of a few ballots, and no blood
shed. Good old Tom,
Encouraged, 1 dived into the Jeffe?-
son autobiography. l like autobiogra-
phies because, while they always fail
to tell the truth, they never fail to re-
veal it. 1t was so in the case of T. ].
lie gave US the constitution, and clearly
was the best product of his fine mind.
He did not, to my knowledge, criticise
! his handiwork, but he spent the rest
If his life showing that he believed
: could be bettered. First, ne wanted
l way to withdraw the unsatisfactory
president. Then he gave US these Wig
orous suggestions:
Il repeat that l do not charge the
Judges with willful and ill-intentione cd
arrOr; but honest error must be ar
'ested when its toleration leads to pub
'ic ruin. As for the safety Of society,
we commit honest maniacs to Bedlam,
20 judges should be withdrawn from
heir bench whose erroneous biases are
Iced harm them in fame and forum :.
Dut il saves the republic. which is the
irst and supreme law"
T ]. doesn't want Judges fmpeachel
At least he doesn't say that they should
be. He valves the question Of guilt
and goes after the men of honest
error" We don't punish the honest
md the purely erroneous; we arrest
he error and not the man to save the
public. Did T. J. mean that the judge
should be recalled? Undoubtedly How
therwise-under what existing or pos
'ible law could you get rid of an
honest man who committed honest err
"or. And should the error, his danger
Gus decision threatening as law and
precedent the public, remain? Logically
had to be recalled too, and only
he people can recall it. The first and
,upreme law is to save the republic,
30 Jefferson thought. So thought Lin
:oln and so thinks Theodore Roosevelt
evidently. Only he points out a clear,
)eaceable method, and Jefferson did
not, while Lincoln was driven into bat
lie and the violation of the constitution
as a war measure.
But l wonder what the dear old
ladies' of the editorial sanctums would
10 to t. r. if he should call our hon
estly erroneous judges-and God knows
he fence corners are alive with them
-maniacs and suggest that they be
locked up among the feeble minded,