Evening star., 1924-04-15

politics. 1t is a little difficult to
comprehend how such an attitude
could be maintained by any women
eligible to such a society as this, and
sufficiently interested in the society
to participate in its work. 1t is not
exactly in harmony with a devotion
to the memory of Molly Pitcher.
Nevertheless, there are such, and to
them 1 want especially to direct an
appeal for a different attitude toward
tho obligations of the voter. / am
much less concerned for what party,
what policies and what candhdates
you vote than that you shall vote,
and that your vote shall represent
conviction. When an enlightened NAec-
torate acts I have no fear or the re
/ suit.
Scope of Government.
Here in America we are lNins
under q form OF democrauc-repup-
lican institutions which L profouhd-
ly believe to be the best that mas yet
been thoroughly tested. l say TINS
because our system has gone so far
in carefully separating the dlHerenl
departments of the government IN
the beginnings of the evolution OF
government all power was lodSed IN
a single head of the state. The SOW
ereign was at once the Legislative
authority, the executive power ana
the judicial discretion. The man In
whom were assembled all these func-
say, II am the state" But let me
remind you that about the same time
also was uttered the grim prophecy.
After me, the deluger and that
prophecy was realized in deluge OF
blood
'In the early development of pop
uIar institutions the Legislative and
executive authorities were divided.
The power of the purse was grad
ually and at last effectively assumed
H.. -, Af hn
1t was a long advance. But not
until the founders of our republic
had made a further distribution and
differentiation of function "?"
ular government assured the oppor-
tunity to prove il"
judicial functf"n --'
made the third independent but CO.
Crdinating factor
ernment the scheme Of Il perfected
demOcrattc-republic was for the
first time presented to the world.
That was the great contribution made
by the founding fathers in our Con-
stitution. BY virtue of it the people
were at last assured equality against
the tyranny of any despotic execu-
tive and tho tyranny of any despotic
Legislature Neither of them, nor
both of them together might there
after impose a lawleSS will upon a
defen 9eless people.
Must Perfect System.
ITO the preservation. the guardian
ship and the gradual perfection OF
this system the American people may
well be summoned From its earliest
establishment our government has
been an example to other peoples,
wherever they might be, seeking the
way of enlightened freedom. The CoR
stitution of 1889 has ever since been
the inspiration and guide for build
ers of popular institutions. 1t is for
us so to direct the processes of our
public life that our institutions shall
continue worthy of the admiration
and the sure defense of our own lib
critics. In this we shall render our
greatest service to humanity.
I've shall succeed, if we keep al
ways before us the high purpose
which presided at the beginning of
our government. We shall need at
all times, and we need particularly in
this current troubled period TO keep
clearly in our thought the conception
of our system as the most nearly per-
feet mode of guaranteeing the es
SentialS of freedom. Under it We have
enjoyed liberty without license. I'm
der il we have been saved from the
excess OF partisanship or of section
aliSn. Under it we have grown in
strength and wealth and moral au-
thority.
But we have never seen, and il is
unlikely that we ever shall see the
time "nen we can safely relax our
vigilance and risk our institutions to
run themselves under the hand of an
active. even though well intentioned
minority. Abraham Lincoln said that
no man is good enough to govern any
other man. To that We might add
that no minority is good enough TO
be trusted with the government Of a
majority And still further, we shall
be wise If We maintain also that no
majority can be trusted to be wise
ann Or nd
times, to exercise unlimited control
over a minority. We need the re-
straints of a written constitution.
Education LIS Essential
ITO prevent the possibility of such
things happening, we must require
all citizens who are entitled to do
so to take their full part in public