Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-30
THE READERS VIEWPOINT

'plan," but It evaporated beforeN the consti-
tutional convention even got warmed up, and
other plans failed to get even that notice.
William Penn made ''plans'' also, but they
came to naught, and Algernon Sidney, pro-
found democrat, told him 1t was presump-
tion in any one man to make q structure that
only all concerned ought TO make working
together. So President Wilson, like Sidney, Is
too profound a democrat to make plan
beforehand which only constitutional con-
vention has right to make
Besides, he is too profound n political
scientist to think that real constitutions are
schemes on paper. Real constitutions are
merely formulated principles and the formu-
lation is a mere incident after debate and
acceptance Of certain proportions Of we'll
known principles of government. It is un-
democratic for self-constituted formulatorS
to work on schemes on paper, although 1t Is
as fruitlesy as It IS undemocratc; for even
Virginias plan" was not adopted, even IN
part, in 1887, but evaporated in the heat of
a real debate on whether few-a very few
well.known principles of Bovernment--should
or should not be accepted
These principles are few. Shall we have
a real government or a loose confederation?
II real government, then the way Is clear,
for the essentials of n real government are
we'll known to every student of government,
as theX were more than century ago. That
was ne case IN 1870 to 1898, and then, as
now the multitude of fearful ones cried out
for loose confederation so impotent as to
be harmless for evil and. likewise, powerless
for good. 1t took n dozen years to convince
those tmid ones of their mistake; and their
political descendants are weltering In the
same Doggy blind lane. If they prevail in
1918 as they did in 1875 then the world will
be a mess, as the States were then, until
suffering opens the eyes of their fearful un-
derstandings. A loose League" is nothing
but a botched imitation of real thing a
sort OF experimentation" machine. whose
destiny Is the junk pile and derision. Those
SN1N, Il 81 ALL
men, without political vision or understand
ing.
If mistake not, "they shall not prevail"
The world demands international as well as
national and state government, and / pre-
dict that the word league" a term used only
as a sop to the fearful ones, will be sunk to
the bottom Of the sea with the German navy
and union and federation will dlsplace
1t, as occurred In 1892. For the world wants
no mpotent imitation; 1t wants and needs a
real government. 1t wants none, however,
made by an individual, nation. or any one
less than the whole of the world-all of the
nations who are independent or ought to
be So
Then, that once decided, legislature, an
executive and a judiciary, with taxing power
for the whole. is a matter OF course The
objects OF this government--what shall they
be? No one but a convention can decide
that; but one thing is certain-thoso objects
will be purely international, and interna-
tonal alone. not national at all The nations
will give up enough sovereignty, and only
enough, TO carry out international and only
international objects In the new united gov
ernment What shall this government rest
upon? Nations or states or individuals?
Obviously, II can rest only on nations or In
dividuals. And at this point the convention
will come as near to breaking up as II will
during its whole session. And, you will OBJ
serve, not word of a constitution or scheme
on paper will have yet been written. 1t Is,
in fact, the very greatest question that can
come before them one that only convention
can decide individuals of the whole world
II they have learned TO Join In locale self
government, undoubtedly have the right TO
decide on all government over them, but, II
they have not shown national self-Kovern-
nent they are not fit for international self
government unless they have been prevented
by force from outside.
At this point, IL may be observed, states
are not nations, and small states which re-
fuse to learn federation, where, as IN Gem
tral America, II In their natural relation, will
probably be considered unit for International
federation. II Russia does not learn self
government In federation of her states she,
too, win prove unfit for international self
government until she does learn and this
principles adoption by the united nations
would bring her to her senses faster than
anything else,
But II the convention should agree that Il
should rest on the individuals of sef-govern-
ing nations the rest would OF necessity be-
come territories OF the new international gov
ernment. Here would be "rocl" to avoid
and 80 avoid wreck but that Ii what a con-
yention Is for The seas also would be COM
mon International Highways, Incidentally.
Then The legislature. shall X bo two
horHeai Shall the lower house represent tbs
Dsepssi SHAH me ufpty fspffsspt ihs nsr