The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-07-12
DIR. SMITH EXpoUNDs A DOCTRINE.

as Governor just plain AT, as Presloent oi 'iie New York Repeal Convention, took advantage oi the occasion to expound anew one of the ooctrlneS of government that he has voiced continuously for almost decade and a half He pointed to the dangers of permitting ratification Of Consttutonal amendments by State Legislatures rather than oy the people of the State. As he pointed out, the New York Repeal Convention did nothing that IL wasn't known would be done before the delegates left their homes It wasn't what they did, but the fact that they were instructed by the voters of New York State to do it that contained the lesson Commenting on this feature New York's great leader said:
 But however the convention has great significance. It will have it's place in his- tory It will stand out as a lesson ana warning for all time to for the people of this and every other State to be very careful in the future and never allow any, thing like the Eighteenth Amendment to get into our Federal Constitution. It has US lesson also for the people of our time, ana that is that ratification of constitutional amendments, taking anything away from the people should hereafter be decided by them and not by Legislatures
 Amendments to the Constitution adopted almost directly after it was approved such as those embooy- ing the Bill of Rights said Gov. Smith, might well be ratified by the State Legislatures since their very nature removes them from the debatapie 1leio But those like the Eighteenth Amendment "whcn seeks to regulate the ordinary everyday like of a citizen or take away from him some privilege or some liberty that he enjoyed, is altogether another matter, and one that the whole people who are affected have right to express their views upof Continuing Gov Smith said.
 For all time to these conventions that are being held around the country should be lesson and warning not to permit submission by the national congress through legislative branches, of such mat ter. Obviously, they are not organized to represent the popular will or the popular majority. held back in 19ls-I felt was right then-that the Legislature of this State, when it ratified the Eighteenth Amend ment did not express the popular will. Now, there may be some reason for acreage representation in legislative bodies as against square blocks of tenement houses in the city when it to the ordinary conduct of the business of government, but 1t IS an entirely different thing when an unfair basis of representation speak not the will of the people, not the desire Of the majority but what appears to be the politically expedent thing to do.
 General Wickersham, in his report to the President of the United States made the statement that State Legislatures were not organized to pass upon amendments such as the Eighteenth Amendment and that there large volume, and a large body of the people, that not therein rep
 
 resented.
 We have another lesson to learn and that is to keep your eye on organized mnori- ties Of course it must be to the delegates that have struggling with this ques- ton for the last thirteen years a great deal of satisfaction to be in this chamber and to cast their votes after what they were compelled to go through during all Of that thirteen years to be referred to as nuli- ficationsts as enemies of the Constiu- ton, as people that wanted to destroy or ganzed and properly constituted government. However the convention, and every other one that is held in any other part of the country, is clear vindication of the clear fundamental theory of democratic govern ment. All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy Let the people speak.
 This is sound doctrine It is one that Gov Smith has preached earlessly and consistently throughout his long public It was on such philosophy of government on his art in governing and in making the business of government adminstra- ton plain to the ordinary man in the street that Harvard was proud to bestow upon him recently the degree of Doctor of Laws.