Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-07-03

~ democracy IN government means tne rule <ol
N Lae people. Many forms have been adopted to en-
the people to govern themselves in an intelli-
I INT manner. All of them fall short in some partic-
~ lars. There is what is known as pure democracy,
VI flder which, in it's ultimate form, all citizens would
I 5te directly on all candidates for public office and
] 4 all issues to be determined. That system may
] rork we'll, and has worked we'll in some very small
) odies, such as townships. for instances, where all
he members Of the community know each other,
r eohd all are personally familiar with the subjects un-
I er discussion. ~ Sc
Z In the larger field, where it is impossible that
I | the people can be familiar with all the candi-
1 ties, and equally impossible that they shall be
,.;niliar with all the details of government, we have
Snenle representative democracy, in which representa-
hayiyes arc elected to make decisions which the people
3hei1 the mass cannot we'll make for themselves.
Sral The tendency in recent years has been strongly
Stati the direction of more direct and less representa-
fondve democracy. 1t has been maintained that rep
fodatsentatives are apt to be untrustworthy, and that
EhaAerefore the people should take control of their
3ssaradblic4 affairs more and more directly into their own
bokands. The result is to increase the number of
H8a;a.s.srsons to be elected by direct vote, and the num-
s Aer Of issues to be submitted to them directly for
Reasscision.
6ait 1t is no reflection on the capacity or character
look a man to say that he cannot decide intelligently
4 question on which he is not informed, and that
ahee cannot make intelligent selections for office from
~ ,.nong persons of whom he knows nothing.
HeI The people of North Dakota doubtless average
$ays well IN intelligence and character as any to be
4yoiund in any state, But how many of the voters
4gaave the information necessary to make intelligent
8oiflections from among the 60 or 70 names submit
&uRd to each voter on his, ballot? A small fraction
2 the voters may be personally acquainted with all
6unese candidates. A greater number may know
RRsesslenl all personally or>by reputation. But to the
&efnk and file of the population most Of the candi-
Rates whose names appear on the ballot are strang-
4oosss even by name. 1t is evident, therefore, that
4htaost. of the voters must be guided in their votes
Ahnpr most of the offices on something other than
9qheir own personal knowledge.
r. In the case of state candidates that guidance
3 or1es from conventions more or less representa-
Ia We. The league convention, the independent con-
ention and the Democratic convention, each COM
pse of persons who were supposed to represent the
$taembers of a reasonably large and reasonably com
$xIiaact group, names candidates who were intended to
&rpresent the principles and policies of the respec-
1--WE groups, and when the voter got away from the
Moore conspicuous candidates whom he knew, or of
4wthom he had heard, he followed, necessarily, the
Elidance of the representative body which he be-
eyed to be most nearly in accord with his own
slsa Jews. \
q The substance of it all is that BY whatever
gI9 anne we choose to call it, and however we please
10 , organize it, we must use the convention system
lSS shaping our public affairs. In this and other
I'LL tates effects have been made to abolish the CON
s kntion, and to substitute for it the primary cleo
sjS ion. The result, here and elsewhere has been to
81 id another wheel to the machine. but by no means
HI b abolish the convention. The convention in this
tate has been ended as a legally recognized agency,
+ ut it remains a necessary and influential force in
II ur political life.