The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-04

thought, faithful service, calm reason
ing and the self-respect that flowers
in dignity these are the solid qualities
OF the man, more effulgent In the pre-
cincts Of judicial elaboration. always
his preferred environment, than In the
maelstrom Of high executive Office. The
professor makes his position very plain.
He does not hold that whatever is must
be right, and he will not grant the re-
formers plant that nothing Is but
what Is wrong. He does not touch up
political and social evils frightfully
with phosphorus and show the leering
spectres In the dark. He gives them
their plain English names and pre-
scribes without quackery. 1t Is just
here that the line Of his limitation must
be drawn. I'VE are in trouble. let's go
,, very slowly, be very, very circumspect
is wise counsel, but will not do when
the appetite Tor constructive pro-
. grammes il hard upon the people. Tho
professor will seem to them a doctor
who excels In diagnosis but Is not Gre
atively imaginative enough to prescribe
adequately to ths needs OF the case.
Perhaps the patient needs no medicine
at all. IL the doctors think so. let
them say 80 boldly. take up their mesii-
cine cases and depart. DR.. Tan sem
sibly inclines t)ward the mere sugges-
ton Of specified regimen Of careful.
, normal living.
Under the goad Of the professional.
presto change reformer the people
/ have shown a light headed readiness to
/ take up with this. that or the other
proprietary medicine. to douse their
| systems with vile connections OF no
demonstrated healing power. Absorbed
in details Of the volcanic political pro-
gramme Of modernism" their eyes
are shut to the import Of the whole
movement. Blown by the winds. they
do not understand the tide. Mr. Tafts
best is calmly definitive statement
that danger lies not 30 much In the
change from the old republican repre-
sentative system to system OF direct,
| democratic government as In trying to
administer the new under the charter OF
the old. The Initiative, referendum and
recall, paternalism In gove-nemnt. gov
eminent ownership and socialist. socio-
logical enterprise on the part Of Gov
eminent simply are not In the old Con-
lstitution. Take II you will the other
track. but unless you plan wreck set
tine signals right!
Taking up clause by clause that mag
nificent preambulatory paragraph Of the
Constitution. the professor examines
it's sense-"we. the people" more per-
feet union" ito establish justice"
There is perhaps a note OF Cassandrine
pathos in his exhortation to the consti-
tutionalists to stand fast, and there IL
Cassandrine sense in the syllogistic
support of his thesis that 1t is not
a triumph of constructive politics, when
a representative system suffers from
inanition at the source. neglect OF duty
by the electorate. TO seek IA remedy in
making the duties OF electors still more
onerous. III INSCRIPTIONS politicians
and industrial manipulators found OPP
portunities for corruption under the old
system. will they not he equally able 10
corrupt the new? Democratic dreams
have always wrecked on the one rock,
Demos. II representative government
we're to fail because the people were in
capable OF selecting proper representa-
} tives would 1t be a gain to place the
entire responsibility direct on the cleo
torate? Is there not some faint of logi
. cal fallacy in shortening ballots 10 re-
. lieve the overtaxed intelligence of the
voter Of the embarrassment of select
. ing great number of representatives
delegating to few the responsibility
. Of filling the offices? Whether yol
chop of the head OF a condemned crimi.
/ nal. your own hand welding the dis.
severing axe. or spring the trap thai
hangs him by pressing button or
= the other side of a solid wall Of masonry
= you are equally his eNecutinner. No
/ that the short ballot has no merits
Y simply that its merits should he mo~
e fairly stated. Beware Of superficial
= remedies. says the doctor; don't try I,
e cure a stomach ache with a skin wash
The Taft doctrine is too well known
). to need introduction. The beauty o.
this presentation OF II Is the wholenes,
and wholesomencss of it's plan anC
: tone. the dignity, strength and com
plete sincerity of its appeal TO reason
: and good sense. However the even
/. may prove or disprove its wisdom. i
has this supreme merit in day O
confusion of voices. that it is clear
strong and constant to its chosen key
! Perhaps. however. this will not com
mend 1t to progressive audiences an!
G more than the authors long and ricl
j experience in public life can be ex
e pectcd to. Now that hcresy Is orthodo!
e and old fashioned orthodoxy is held II
open contempt. while ephemcral politi
cal success Is the accepted measure o
correctness for theory and policy. Prot
Taft cannot hope for popular ecstasie
y in the reception OF his sound and sen
sible views.
Dr. Adams Is professor Of history /,
:. Leland Stanford University lie
no prepayment OF the material theory O
history. he does not bow down bcfor
the exalted conception of "the economi
man." lie believes in popular ideal
a ~ a motive force. and In the presen
= essays endeavors to demonstrate thei
effect in our national history. Ma
:, tionality he characterizcs as "a faith
=, anti-slavery as "a crusade; NANTES
iestiny as IAN emotion" religion us e
'ervice" and democracy as "a vision.
:. The development OF American nation
n llity is not an apocalyptic subject "
should think college men could hardl
n need elaborate exposition Of the alicna
on Of the Colonies from England an
!, the resolution Of their chaotic interes
-, into homogeneity and of the long or