The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-03-28
TOWNSEND is VERY OPTIMISTIC.
Michigan Senator Says Political Out
look In State and Nation
is Pleasing.

United States Senator Charles f.
Townsend was in Grand Rapids yester-
day afternoon on his way home to
Jackson, after speaking at the Republi-
can club banquet in Reed City Friday
evening
Senator Townsend is very optimistic
in his political viewpoint for the future.
"Republicanism is already regaining
nearly all it's temporarily lost ground"
said ne. Six months from today-after
the Democratic congress has passed
free trade and low tariff bill-Republi-
canism, furthermore, will be twice as
popular as it is today. Michigan is one
Of those states which will sadly feel the
direct effect of more than one of the
Democratic free trade and low tariff
schemes"
Senator Townsend was very out.
spoken in his view regarding the trend
ofathe times toward pure democracy as
set off against continued representative
government.
IF the people want the initiative and
the referendum and the recall" said he,
there is no reason why they should
not have them. l only want to be sure
that it is the people who are making
the demand and not merely few poll
ticians who have been unable to at
tract attention to themselves in any
other way save by the advocacy of this
doctrine. These means for the promo
tion of direct legislation can work tre.
mendous advantage and common good
provided the people are fully ready to
accept the responsibilities that accom-
pany these new functions for which
it is said that they are asking. It must
be clearly understood that they are
seeking burden ss well as privilege.
They must be prepared to vote when
their vote is called for all of them We
shall be hopelessly involved in govern
ment by minorities If we widely and
limitlessly extend electoral opportuni-
ties and then find that the opportuni-
ties are not accepted.
"The truth of the matter is, that
under the primary election code the
people have an absolutely ideal means
to an ideal form of representative gov.
ernment. If the people would accept
the full opportunity which the mere
primary brings to them. don't believe
that initiative and referendcm and re.
calls would be necessary. I am not out
of sympathy with them, please under.
stand. / merely want the people to
know that they must accept RESPONSE
bilities as well as privileges.
II believe in progressive development
in government affairs, but believe in
{ in the form of action and not merely
by way of protection. For example, it
seems to me that time has clearly DEM
onstrated that this third party move
ment last fall was not progressive at
all, 30 far as net result goes, but that
on the contrary, it was sadly reaction.
ary. Why9 For number of reasons.
Take one simple example. The third
party professed a faith in tariff board
incidental to the formation of tariff
law. We already had tariff board
not perfect, but splendid start in the
right direction. 1t was given to us by
the Republican party and Republi.
can administration. The third party
movement was responsible for divi-
sion in the ranks of like thinkers on
this subject, so that the Democracy was
permitted to enjoy a minority victory.
With this victory comes abolition of the
tariff board we had and return to the
old fashioned way of building tariff law
by guess, by compromise and by favor.
itism. The result, therefore, Of the
third party movement in this regard
has been resctionarv and not progress
sive." Grand Rapids Herald.