Evening star., 1924-05-04
BY THOMAS II. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President Of the
United States


/ entertain, If l know myself, no
malice or i'll will against soul on
earth. Controversies with men have
never interested me. 1 believe in GER
tain principles, some of which may
be controversial, but / have no per-
sonal quarrel with any man who dis
putes them. In free America every
one has right to believe what he
will and freely to voice his belief.
L was trained for citizenship in a
school of political thought which
seems to have closed it's doors, but
perhaps 1t still exists buts has not
sufficiently advertised itself so as to
attract any large number of new pu-
pills. The professors who instructed
me in citizenship were certain that
truth was one and eternal They
agreed that all governments derive
their just powers from the consent
| of the governed and that it was the
right of people to alter and reform
their government. but they held that
government was so intricate a piece
OF machinery that II was to be tink-
cred with only by men who were
skilled mechanicians. They believed
that which now seems to be unbe-
lievable, that different forms OF gov
ernment were advisable for different
races and temperaments, but they
were convinced that the men who
founded and formulated the govern
ment of the. United States had full
knowledge of the strength and weak
nesses of every government which
had preceded it.
** Xxx
There Is no doubt that the founders
| tyranny of mere majority might
be as dangerous to peace, quietude
and good order as the tyranny of
any despot who ever sat upon
throne. They feared alike the divine
right of kings and the right of those
who thought themselves divine. They
were not unfamiliar with the prac-
tical workings of a government by
discreet on. which is the same thing
as a government OF men. They knew,
of course, that the ancient Jewish
theocracy in the days of its purity
was the most perfect government
the world ever knew, but they were
cognizant also of the fact that when
the wishes of the individual began
to mingle with the Bath Kohl gov
cEHIieHt again DeSdn 10 De q govern
ment of men. They would not have
denied that a benevolent despotism
was a perfect form of government
when and wherever the despot's
moving motive was the equal good
of all his subjects, but they could
not stand for a despotism because
of the chance of Il George Washington
being followed by an Aaron Burr.
They recognized the danger of
pure democracy, because they knew
M n r. VIC
not qualities of pureness and would
not leave a democracy pure. They
were equally opposed TO the deSpot
on the throne and the demsgogue
in the street.
). X 4
So it was that the founders con-
cluded that hope of endurance was
to be found only in government
of law, in a government which re-
quired of its citizens obedience to
laws, as opposed to government of
men or government where the dis
cretion of the ruler should conSti-
tute the law. They believe in certain
inalienabIe rights of which men were
not to be deprived by written con-
stitutions, decisions of courts or
even by. voluntary relinquishment:
that society was organized to pre-
serve these rights; that while the
constitution OF society might author
ize the majority to rule, neverthe-
less men did not when they came
under government surrender their
natural rights to a majority. Thus
developed our conception OF govern
ment-that it was TO preserve these
rights locally, by states. and by gen
eral government. The one sure found
alton OF government is the doc
trine of local self government Lord
Bryce. than whom America never had
better friend. is an eminent author
ity for the belief that no democracy
which gives up the idea Of local self
government can long endure. What