The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-06-05
DIXON ON GOVERNMENTS.
Chatauqua Lecturer Outlines Vari-
Gus Forms of Government And
Advocates Recall and Referendum

company, which has finished an en-
gagement lasting several weeks this
season at the Hippodrome Theatre
New York city, furnished an enter
tainment which was far out of the
ordinary. Their quaint costumes
and odd hats attracted unusual at
tention. But far greater attention
was commanded by their wonderful
voices, and the perfect ease with
which they initiated the echo in
various similar things. The violin
solo was extraordinary, and Moon
light Bay and annie Laurie'were
favorites with the audience. There
was only one complaint, namely,the
entertainment was too short.
After the concert, Frank Dixon, "a
noted platform speaker, was intro
duced to the audience, and, in spite
of an approaching thunder storm,
he held the attention of a large por-
ton of his audience for more than
an hour, his subject being 'An Out
grown Constitution" The speaker,
who bears a marked resemblance to
Woodrow Wilson, fact which was
noticed by many of his auditors be-
fore he himself made humorous
reference to it in the course of his
remarks-spoke with force, elo-
quence and ability on the above
subject He began by giving an
| historical review of the men who
| composed the convention which
| drafted the constitution of the
United States, and by defining the
kinds of government which have
prevailed in the world from the
most ancient times until the present
| day These kinds of government
are two, the one being a Plutocracy,
which he said embraced in it's scope
such other forms as are called mon
archical or aristocratic, and which
had for its primary object the con-
servation of property rights, and
| the other Democracy, which is es-
sentially the rule of the people, and
which holds humanity as being SUI
perior to property, and manhood as
being of more Importance than mo-
ney. He said that the government
| of the United States was far from
being a typical democracy, and that
the advanced thought of the pres
ent day was looking to such coun-
tries as Australia, Switzerland, New
Zealand, and even to England, ra-
Their than to America, for it's types
and examples of democratic methods
| Of government.
Thomas Jefferson, according to
the speaker, was the greatest apos-
tie of modern democracy, and he
gave immortal expression to his
principles in the drafting of the
| Declaration of Independence. But
after the Revolutionary War had
been fought and liberty and indie
pendence had been achieved, the
conservative forces of the country
again came into ascendercy, and It
was the representatives of this
element of the population which
met in Philadelphia to draft the
| first constitution of the United
States. Only six of the men who
signed the Declaration of Indepen-
dence were members of the Consti-
tutional Convention. Its dominat-
ing spirit was Alexander Hamilton,
| who was one of the greatest politi-
cal geniuses of the age. He really
proposed to the convention what
was practically a monarchical form
of government, but as the adoption
Of the constitution had to be re-
ferred to the States, it was thought
.judicious to modify his propositions
to such an extent as to make it
meet with ratification by the peo-
pie.
The speaker here analysed in de-
tail the three departments of our
government, the executive, the legis-
lative and the judicial, to illustrate
his point. He expressed himself as
being in favor of the initiative, the
referendum and the recall,a land said
that there could be no true demo-
cratic government without the full
operation CT these principles. He
believed in the recall of judges, as
we'll as of other officials. In the
course of his remarks Mr.. Dixon re-
ferred to President Wilson as being
the greatest President since the
days of Jefferson. He said that lie
was already making such a good
record as a champion of popular
rights because he was SCATTERING
precedent every day, and he was
really going contrary to the consti-
| tuition.
Mr.. Dixon's address made very
| deep impression, and it is to be
| regretted that the threatening
weather distracted the attention of
a portion of his audience.
The Junior Chautauqua, which is
under the direction of Miss Jose
phine Wilson and Miss Josephine
Foster, is extremely popular with
the "kiddies.'' This morning the
children, accompanied by their pa
rents, went to Spring Valley, where
Miss Wilson had charge of the larg-
er children, and Miss Foster enter
tanned the little ones. With games,
stories and songs, the youngsters
were amused, and all of them seem
ed to thoroughly enjoy the event.
At the afternoon session today
Rev. E. R. Perry delivered another
one of his delightful series of lee
lures. This time his subject was