St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-02-10
PRESS COMMENT
representative Government Needed
More Than Ever.


More Than Ever.
In his address before the Indiana
republican editorial association
Thursday night, President HinmaI
of Marietta college gave vigorous ut
terance to certain fundamental
truths in regard to government that
are worthy of the most serious con-
sideration. Some of our more radi-
cal reformers seem to think-at
least they talk as though they thus
thought-that the fathers of the re-
public were unfamiliar with the new
| devices which are now SO ferVently
advocated. The fact, of course, is
that they had practically the same
choice as that which we have today
namely, between direct democracy
and representative government. The
two alternatives were sharply pre-
sented to them, and they rejected
direct government and pure democ-
racy, and accepted representative
government The choice was DELHI
erately made. This is made very
clear by President Human.
Two questions are thus presented.
The first is whether their decision
was right at the time, and, second,
if it was, have things so changed as
to make another decision necessary.
AS to the answer to the first question
there is practically no dispute. Even
those who now advocate change adj
nit that our constitution was admir-
ably adapted to the needs of the peo-
pie at the time of it's adoption, and
it certainly has served us well. But
it is argued that changed conditions
make necessary radical modifica-
tions. Here again DR.. Hinman is
right in saying that there have been
no such changes. He might have
gone further and argued that the al
tered conditions make representative
government more necessary than
ever.
Conceivably, pure democracy and
direct government might have work.
ed well in a country with a homo
geneouS population of three million
people-we say that that is possible.
But now we have almost a hundred
million people, and of all sorts, ton
CUES and languages. Representa-
tive government is, therefore, more
than ever necessary. But it seems
that we travel more swiftly, COM
municate with one another instant
aneously, and enjoy comforts and
conveniences of which our fathers
u0N0I uI0duGu. w udL Lk11O AdO "
do with the case we have never been
able to see. These things are not
related to politics, or the spiritual
life of the people.
Yet there is an influence exerted
by easier locomotion and communi-
cation, and it is hostile to the new
schemes. In the old days it might
take a month for movement that
was popular in Maine to make itself
felt in Georgia, yet even then it was
felt necessary to erect barriers
against gusts of popular feeling or
passion. Today the whole nation
may be swept from coast to coast in
a day by such gusts. Is it not then
more than ever necessary to main
tain checks and safeguards? James
Russell Lowell long ago pointed out
in his essay on Democracy the
danger that might result from what
he called ''the trooping of public
opinion" as a result of the telephone,
which made every man neighbor to
every other man. The arguments
for representative government are
indeed stronger than ever, as the
need for it is greater. President
address is admirable
Indianapolis News.
McKinley's Progressive Ideas.
In his last speech, delivered at
Buffalo, Sept. 5, 1901, the day before
the bullet of an anarchist laid him
low and caused millions of people of
many lands to bow in tears, William
Mckinley uttered words of wisdom
which apply to present conditions
even more forcibly than they did to
those of 13 years ago. He said:
We have a vast and intricate bust
ness, built up through years of toll
and struggle, in which every part of
the country has its stake, which will
not hermit of either neglect or I'M
due selfishness. No narrow, sordld |
policy will subserve it. The great |
est skill and wisdom on the part of
and producers will be
required to hold and increase it. Our
industrial enterprises, which have
grown to such great proportions, af-
feet the homes and occupations of |
the people and the welfare of the
country. Our capacity to produce
has developed so enormously and |
our products have so multiplied that
the problem of more markets re-
quires our urgent and immediate at
tention. Only a broad and enlight- |
ened policy will keep what we have.
No other policy will get more. In |
these times of marvellous business
energy and gain we ought to be look
ing to the future, Strengthening the |
weak places in our industrial and /
systems, that we may be
ready for any storm or strain.
President Mckinley went on to ad-
vocate the adoption of sensible
trade arrangements which would
not, interrupt our home production,
but would extend our foreign COM
meree. Reciprocity" he added, sis
the natural outgrowth of our won
1erful Industrial development under
the domestic policy now firmly es-
,ablished. The period of exclusive
ness is past" Then, with all the
of his intense Ameri-
,anism, he advocated the upbuilding
If the merchant marine. eve must
have more ships,' he declared. ''They
must be under the American flag,
0uilt and manned and owned by