New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-29
W|CKERSHAM ATTACKS
POPULAR AGITATION
Attorney General Sees Menace
to Life, Liberty, Property
and Freedom of Speech.

West Chester. Penn, Sept &-AttornA,
General Wickers ham, before tho Ches.c,
County Historical Society at Cedar.Croft
near here. to-day. attacked popular agt.
tation and upheayar' as menacing He
liberty and property and freedom Of
speech. He urged state laws to comnol
every citizen TO exercise the elective fran.
chise In the event the new movements
succeeded I'm modifying American lnst.tu.
tons and putting the rights Of individuals
"at the mercy of mere minority"
Mr. Wickersham made his arraignmen,
at the close Of a speech In which he euIo.
gized the self-conhdence and self-contro
of the Pennsylvania Quakers. The 80.
ciety had met 10 pay honor TO Bayard
Taylor. journalist and diplomatist, and
James Buchanan Read. paiIter and poet
The Attorney General spoke on the indl-
vidual and the community. but in closing
discussed the political situation. lie said
in part:
We are now going through q period o,
popular agitation and upheaval IN which
a large number of people are looking 10 a
modification OF our form OF government,
ana the cl ac.men, and administration II
laws by popular ote to cure All real and
imagined civic ills.
So long as the greater number OF The
people concern themselves only with tho
selection of men to make laws and ad
minister them. turning them ont Of Office
IL they do Ill, and re-elscting them IL they
do well, 1t IS not Of such vital importance
that every qualified citizen shall actvslY
participate IN elections; but II our frames
of government are 10 be so altered that
constitutions and laws arc 10 lie made Cr
unmade by mere maJorities OF those vol.
ing. and the acts and decisions or az.
ministrative officers are TO be subjected
to like control and their tenure OF office
| TO hang upon the momentary hckleness
OF such popular decision. then every citi-
zen has a right TO require Of every Other
tha affirmative exercise OF his right 10
vote upon every such question
OF a truth, eternal vigilance is the
price OF liberty" But II such a change
In our institutions he demanded by our
people: II on mature consideration they
believe that our existing form OF consu-
tutional government has ceased 20 be an
adequate vehicle for the expression ~
the sober. deliberate judgment Of the peo-
pie, then Il Is the right OF the people TO
change their Institutions and their laws.
and they will surely do so.
There can be no power WITHOUT respon .
siDllity II our institutions be- so modified
that n nero majority Of those voting may
alter or make a constitution, or n law.
or Il decision. or choose or remove an
officer. or corfrol his official conduct, "
becomes n ducy which every citizen owes
IN every ether that he exercise this power
and do not leave the laws and institutions
OF his state or his country and the rights
OF individuals 10 the mercy or mere
minority rule. The performance OF tnls
duty should DO compelled by law, and iis
failure punished by adequate penalty
aud II persisted IN. by loss OF the frau
chfsa The principle underlying the rela-
ton OF the early QIakerS TO the meeting
should De- applied 10 the relation between
the individual voter and the common
wealth. .
eenth century ideas Of democratic gov
crrment which constitutes the eNtrapr1l-
( nary political uienomenon OF American
thought to-day much has Decn maze o.
the theory OF popular participation il
law making and law administering. buI
II.tie attention seems 10 have been given
10 the corresponding obligations which
should ever attend upon the enjoyment %
! power. Vet az early as 1889 IN France.
The principle 81 compulsory voting was
prnciained as the c0ncomitant OF III
privilege OF the suffrage.
/ When one considers the dlHculJy ef'
perienCed In almost every state OF this
| Union. except at a Presidential election.
In getting ma brity of the qualified
electorate TO vote. If the number ~ ques-
tons submitted ~ popular determination
is 10 be Increased. il f. surely the duty
of the state To compel by the imposition
OF appropriate penalties all the qualified
voters TO give the commonwealth the
benefit of their affirmative decision with
respect to those questions. Voting De.
comes civic dusy, the performance o.
which the state has a right to compel
our institutions have been builded upon
the value OF the Individual man in the
state. To preserve that value they have
bulwarked him agpinst injustice and
tyranny. They have protected the weak
against the strong. the few against the
many. The day seems TO have come
when tine many must be protected against
the few. at least when the individual
must be protected against the neglect
of many which would expose him 20 the
aggression OF the few. But IL must &c
all. or the greater number OF the people
who 90 rule. for more than this Is tyrsn-
ny. ollgarchy or confusion
Several thousand persons attended exer'
cises in connection with the dedication Of
several bronze tablets recently erected BY
the society 10 the memory OF Mr. Taylor
and Mr.. Read