New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-26
ROOT'SLAST PLEA
FORCONSTITUTION
SWAPS AUDIENCE
Warns of Decline of Rep
resentation in Direct
Action Propaganda.
DELEGATES PRAISED
FOR IMPARTIAL ACTS
Economics Club Told Body Was
Influenced Only by Desire
to Better the State.

With last plea for the new con-
stitution on the ground that it will
reinstate the representative govern
ment of our fathers to the position TO
which it Is entitled, former Senator
Root appealed for its adoption to
twelve hundred business men, bankers
and lawyers at the dinner Of the Eco
nomic Club At the Astor last night.
Mr. Roots appeal was touching, and
there were many moist eyes among his
listeners before he had finished. 1t
was final appeal by Mr.. Root for the
new constitution, and he put his whole
heart into it.
81 beg you to do me the honor" he
said, "to believe there is no personal
consideration which actuates me. Since
] left this city, sixteen years ago last
summer, to devote myself TO the SER
vice OF my country and the state, |
have had but one client. | have had
but one desire. | have but one
passion. and it has been for the pros-
perity and the honor and the growth in
the spirit and in the power of my coun-
try and my state.
Il have given out all there was in
me into this effort to do what | be-
lieved TO be necessary for the per-
petuty of our free institutions, this
effort to make representative govern
ment worthy of itself | have given
up my strength and my life to help
bring that about. | hope that it will
not prove to have been in vain. No,
it cannot have been in vain. This con-
stitution, believe. will be adopted by
the people of the state, but if it is not.
the work OF the convention will not
be lost. II will be but the beginning
of process which through the work
ing of the processes of free govern
ment will bring out sooner or later IN
substance all the conclusions which are
right and sound, for no honest effort
in behalf of ones country can ever
be lost"
Mr.. Root Cheered.
Mr.. Root was loudly cheered at the
end of his address. Senator Wads-
worth, William Church Osborn. chair
man Of the Democratic State Commit
tee, and Martin Littleton also spoke IN
support of the new constitution. Mr.
Osborn, however, asserting that he
would not vote for the reapportionment
article. William r. Wilcox, president
of the Economic Club, was toastmaster
Mr.. Root declared that there has
been a widespread demand for the
abandonment Of representative govern
ment. but that the adoption Of the new
constitution would make representative
government so good, so sound. so ell
fective. that all demand for the aban-
doning OF representative government
and the substitution Of direct legisla-
ton would pass away and be refuted.
Mr.. Root said:
"The initiative. the compulsory refer
endum, the more sudden and instant
control over administrative and other
judicial officers through the recall and
direct legislation is distinguished from
representative legislation. Some OF US
who felt that representative govern
ment was the great gift OF our race
TO the development OF freedom ieit
that the duty pressed upon US TO snow
if we could cure the evils by improv-
ing representative government. VI
course, if legislation is to be direct, II
the laws of the state or nation are
to be made at the polls upon the IN
itiative of any group OF men who nave
ideas that they wish TO propose, the
dignity and the power Of representative
assemblies must decline. OF course, II
that system of government is TO pre-
vail the American system of govern
ment through representative assem-
blies must grow weaker and weaker
If that system is not 10 prevail. repre-
sentative assemblies must be made 10
do their work, TO meet the well ex-
ecuted purpose and the will of the peo-
pie whom they represent. II is that
feature of the work of the convention
which should, ] think, appeal to this
Economic Club. You deal not merely
with details, but with the philosophy
of government and with the broad un-
deriying principles which are to be ap-
piled. | put TO you, the hrst great
ground upon which the work OF this
convention is to be favorably regarded,
that il is an effort sincere and serious
by sixty-eight men elected by the peo-
pie of the state to do the work"
The convention which farmed the
new constitution. Mr.. Root declared.
was a non partisan body. In this con-
nection he took a left-handed slap at
William Barnes, jr., when he asserted
that efforts had been made to use the
great majority Of the Republican party
in the convention for partisan advan-
tage. ,
Root declared. 81 have been seeking
| have been wondering much at the
canses No such series of provisions
as this can be adopted without inter-
ferinp with q great many people. A
good many men will be turned out 4
offce You cannot retrench without
turning men out Of office. You cam ot
sconomize without interfering with
people, and if you look to the opposi-
ton TO this constitution in nine cases
out of ten you can trace It back 10
the unwillingness Of men to be turned