Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-10
LODGE QUOTES FROM WILSON
Senator Makes Vigorous Speech to
the Students of Princeton.
OPPOSES SOME POPULAR ISSUES
Uses Woodrow Wilson'S Writings TO
support Arguments Against Ini-
tIativc, Referendum and Re-
call OF Officials.

PRINCETON, N. j.. March s.-Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge OF Massachusetts,
preached vigorous opposition to the initia-
tive, referendum and recall here tonight
before the students OF Princeton Uni
verslty His speech Vas one OF a series
on public affairs delivered under the
Spencer Trask lecture fund,
Mr.. Lodge denounced the initiative,
referendum and recall as both absolute
and impracticable and subversive Of the.
fundamental ideas OF representative
government. In emphasizing the lat
ter point. he quoted freely from books
written by Governor Woodrow Wilson
while president of Princeton University.
Majority Not Always Definite.
At IL quito 'uue. ".-said Mr. Lodge,
that the voters are the means BY which,
we necessarily obtain an expression OF
the popular will. but a majority OF the
voters are not necessarily the people,
aud do not at all times represent the
real wishes Of the people. The ma
jority OF those who vote on any given
question may be very narrow one. IL
may be a very ephemessA one. The
majority one year may bo the minority
of the next. and yet you will observe
that In all the practical arrangements
for the compulsory initiative, referendum
and. for the recall Of judges, the people
who can compel the initiative and who
lin practice carry the referendum, the
number who can force a recall and who
in its practical operation may be able TO
carry Il, are small minority of the
voters"
Mr.. Lodge quoted a reference by Wood
row Wilson to the use OF the Initiative
and referendum as "the virtual abandon
nent Of the representative principle. ana
the attempt to put in the hands OF the
voters themselves the power to Initiate
and negative laws-lR order TO enable
them TO do for themselves what they have
not been able to get satisfactorily done
through the representatives they have
hitherto chosen to act for them
Concerning Consultations.
Mr.. Lodge next discussed what he
termed the widespread feeling that con-
stitutions do not differ from laws. that
they may deal with any subject and be
the receptacle Of any ideas which at the
moment happen to I've popular" To IL
lustrate the habit OF regarding the con-
stitntIon as IL II was an ordinary law,
he referred TO Mr.. Wilson's writings In
which he said! The danger is that con-
stitution-making win become with us
only a cumbrous mode Of legislation"
Representative government and lib
erty," he said, faded away together and
the executive became all powerful There
.ore IN these propositions now made to
us there Is nothing new. They are old
propositions. We are today asked TO lay
aside the great advance in government
made. as history shows. by the repre-
sentative system and return to earlier
forms.
zone OF the great arguments used by
the advocates of these changes in our
constitution is that, by obtaining the di-
rect action Of ths voters, We shail be
free from the demorslizing Influence ana
the control OF money in politics and in
our legislatures.
Il have always believed theoretically
that the more elections were multiplied
and the more elaborate the machinery
for selecting and electlng the candidates
the larger the field for professional poh-
,ic,ans and for the employment OF money
TO control election results. The evidence
afforded by the primary system IN &C
tual operation seems 20 confirm this the
ory."
Money in Primaries.
Mr.. Lodge here referred TO the contest
over the seat OF Senator stephenson oil
Wisconsin. where the primary system
is in OPERATION. He said the senate III
vestigaiion brought forth statements
that all the candidates IN that election
spent an aggregate OF sS26ss and thai
the total vote. republican and democratic,
was zN,5l. indicating "a cost OF rs
per vote TO get that number Of voters t'
the polls
From this evidence" added Ar- Lodge
what reason have We to hope that
money will not play an enormous par
in securing the initiation, the references
and the adoption Of laws which the greai
money interests happen to desire-"
The senator commended. moreover. thai
the purpose and spirit Of the constitution
was TO prevent the concentration Of
power and to put limitations on numer4