Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-05-01

do what one Australian called the don
key work" In development This sec
ton is in the minority. however. and
will doubtless remain so until it is
demonstrated that other plans Of set
Element and development have been
tried. and it has been conclusively
shown that the occupancy of the
northern territory by the white man
is impossible. II there be evil re-
sulting from the experiment In de-
mocracy, the white man, the Briton
away from Great Britain, is RESPONSE
BILE and the white man alone.
Democracy to the Limit.
The Australian federal constitution,
modelled upon the Constitution of the
United States, carries to the farthest
limit the principle of trusting the
people. Every adult, man or woman,
has an equal voice in the election OF
both houses Of parliament. There is
no property qualification and no cir
cumstance entities any citizen to more
than one vote. In actual practice,
however, as Frank Fox, keen observer
and long resident of Australia, pointed
out, 1T has been found that the prin-
ciple of federalism imposes a check
on the actions of the Australian parli-
ament, which is deeply resented by
the advanced labor leaders, and the
inconvenience of which is acknowl-
edged by others. The constitution fol-
| lowed somewhat closely the United
States model, and reserved very large
powers to the states-far larger, for
example, than the states or provinces
have In Canada. To provide that
there should not be any arbitrary en-
croachment on state rights, states
house was set up, in which house-the
senate-the tiny state of Tasmania
has equal representation with the very
large state of New South Wales. Also,
the respective power of the states OF
the federation were defined by the
written constitution and the high
court of the commonwealth was made
the guardian and interpreter of that
constitution"
This high court, it may be observed,
has kept a jealous watch for any
trespasses by the federal power on
state rights, and has declared a great
deal of the federal legislation 'uncon-
stitutional," and therefore invalid, be-
cause it went beyond the powers CIV
en- to the federation or commonwealth
by the constitution. This has created
strong demand for a revision of the
the majority of the justices of the
United States Supreme court in the
income tax case caused a demand for
revision of the American constitu-
ton. 1t strikes observers from older
countries with surprise, and perhaps
with dismay that it should be urgent
ly proposed to enter upon a profound
constitutional change after only ten
years experience Of federation under
the act of union.
Labor in the Saddle.
Other experiments, tried out may
be abandoned, lightly or otherwise,
but the experiment of democracy is
not among them. The Australian,
whether he be a member of the La.
Dor or of the Liberal party-the two
great political parties-is democrat
One man is as good as another man in
his eyes and, to employ the Irish
phrase, often little better. The sec
rotary Of the drayman's union is ap
pointed member of the Legislative
council. The cabman, who over
charged me in Sydney, as cabmer
overcharge the traveller in all cities
upon earth, is a member Of parlia
ment. One premier is a miner, an
other a printer. Not in mere theory
as in some other countries claiming
to be democratic, the government in
Australia is in the hands of the butch
er, the baker and the candlestick
maker
The extent to which democracy goes
may be illustrated by the New South
Wales experiment. The Labor party
returned to power in this state, the
most important in Australia, selected
as its leader w. A. Holman, who hat
filled this place with distinction in the
previous parliament. Under the con
stitution and by precedent the forma
ton of a government, that is the Sc
lection of cabinet ministers, fell to hit
lot. Premier Holman, as an ultimate
democrat, declined to avail himsel
Of this immemorial privilege, ant
called a secret caucus of all the Labor
members of parliament to select the
new ministry. A score of candidates
were voted upon by the 4S Labor
members, and after six hours of siren
uous balloting the caucus selected tel
names. These are the new cabine
ministers, though the caucus left thu
q assignment of their separate port
a folios or officers to the premier.
q Faced Toward Socialism.
l With many Australians democrat!
e spells opportunity for socialism, tt
n greater or less degree. The two chic
Q occupations of the Australian arr
l. sports and politics. Indeed, he car
: ries his sporting proclivities into thu
+ realm of politics, and just now is per
i hitting his democracy to take a Ion,