Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-22

other extreme. | have not the
time, nor you the space, to enter
upon any lengthy disQuisition on
the merits of our present form of
government which, although far
| from perfect in all details of opera
ton, comes nearer to perfection
than any other which has ever
been devised, and from which we
should be slow to depart. l invite
your serious attention to small
book entitled Back to the Repub-
lic," written by Harry +, Atwood,
published by Laird e. Lee. OF Chi
cago, and sold at price which in
dicates slight, if any, desire or
expectation of pecuniary gain.
That book points out with great
clearness the equal danger to our
government of autocracv on the
one hand and of pure democracy
on the other. There is copy OF
it in the library of our state uni
versity, and every student in that
institution who takes any interest
in public affairs, ought to read
and study II.
The adoption of the recall OF
public officers would only add TO
those defects In our system of gov
eminent so well set out by Alexis
de Tocqueville in his great work,
Democracy in America. He Is prob
baby the greatest of all unpreju-
diced outsiders who have under
taken to crit'cise our institutions,
and there is no dissenting voice "s
to the great value of his book, and
in an edition in English, published
about twenty years ago. the highes'
compliments are paid him by men
Of such different political views and
principles as Senator Morgan, OF
Alabama, and Senator ingalls,, OF
Kansas, both men of the highest
order of ability imbued with a LOFTY
spirit of patriotism. One of the
faults which that author found
with our governments was the In
stability and uncertainty OF our
laws, owing to the ease with when
they could be changed by our legis-
latures in prompt and almost ser
vile compliance with the passing
feeling of the majority of voters.
This evil we still have with us, pnt
the recall" would add another or
| the same nature, making the tenure
OF office of elected officials de-
pendent upon "the passing feellng
Of the majority OF voters" the
| initiative, referendum and recall
are inventions OF the devil, If there
be one, we'll adapted to destruction
and chaos in government, ana II
they and what they represent can
prevail, would go far toward the
realization Of the prediction of
Edgar Allen Poe, the greatest geni-
| us America has ever produced. IN
one of his fantastic sketches, mar
| rating a conversation with re-
| suscltated Egyptian mummy. III
that Is not fresh in your memory
get It out and re-read 1t.
, 7 am moved also to saw rev
words in response to Mr.. Marion
contribution on this subject, when
| YOU published. As l recollect, ne
opposes the ''short ballot" because
he unwilling to give a governor
| so much power In appointments 10
| office. and, In part. at least, ne
bases this on the inferior character
Of the governors we have mad since
statehood, not one OF whom would
would he be willing to trust win
such power
I The steadying sense OF respon-
! sihilitv would have great etfecf on
the mind Of any man who could De
nominated and elected to exercise
, such power, and that is sufficien,,
answer to Mr.. Marroh's genera
position. We can hardly expect
lany governor to do worse In the Sc
lection of officers than often re,
suits from the passing feeling oil
the majority OF voters"
But who are the men we nave
had as governors whom Mr.. Marroi
lstigmatizes as unworthy to DC
trusted with this power? They are
William c. Mcdonald. Ezeouiel c
de Baca, Washington p: LINDSEY
land Octaviano A. Larrazolo. NOW
I have the vanity to believe that my
opinion is as good as that of Mr.
Maroon, and I am sure that my
opportunities for knowing these
men have been quite equal to those
of Mr.. Marion, II not greater, ano
without stopping now to discuss
them individually, as I would hks
to do, asser. that every one OF
them was fit to exercise this grea'
lappointing power with great. cred,
to himself and equally to the al
vantage of the public,
But even II we should concedf
the inferiority of the governors We
have had, we should remembe'
that thew we're not selected to eX'
ercise this appointing power ano
when we do select governor iol
that purpose, we win use greater
care In our nominations and cleo
tons.
Yours truly,
FRANK w. CLANCE1.