The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1951-12-14

natlOnS, we can almost CdSCe Iiic
worlds misery in our daily bread"
81 came to understand what a
chain driven contraption government
is. How democratic pretentions ling
er on in the twilight of 18th century
reverie, how it operates thru levels
and status and courtly Difference.
Government is something that is
done to us; not something in which we
| have a creative part.
responses of the people have IN
creased immensely; responsiveness OF
our political systems (even democra-
cies) not whit"
"Contending forces representing
belief in thoroughly democratic pro
cedure, on the one hand, and belief IN
toplofty authority on the other hand,
are at work as much within the Amer
lean government in Washington and
within the British government IN
Whitehall, as they are between gov
ernments of Russia and the West.
1--WE must avoid the error of sup
posing our democracies are really
democratic. They cannot prove these
claims by war nor by rhetoric. Such
claims must be proven by demonstra-
ton"
After a mastery presentation of
great problem the book, it seems to
me, falls flat The author can dem
onstrate no way in which to make
his great dream come true. Citing ex-
amples of widespread general dis
cussion that looked toward lasting
peace after War Ii and that the Unit
ed Nations was created under the
pressure of this public demand, he
advocates organization of hundreds
of discussion groups and system of
voting therein on all kinds of major
public questions, both national and
state
Where a sufficiently large vote
can be collected its result to consti-
tute a mandate, or directive, to all
public officials. Where only sample
Of general public opinion can be OBJ
only. He also wants Congress to set
up and use machinery under which
vital national questions of all kinds
will be submitted to the public under
| referendum preferably in off cleo
ion years.
While making these suggestions
me glaring fact seems to have been
About one third of our
who are legally eligible, or
ould become so, do not vote now. APP
'arently these are not sufficiently in
crested in what democracy we still
ave to try to preserve, or extend it.
hen too, very large percentage of
otes that are dropped in the bal
ot box are not wrapped in a halo of
general public welfare" They are
eposited as counters against some
ne or something the voter does not
Ike, or because they appear to be
l the immediate self interest of the
Individual who puts the cross in the
tile square. The author himself has
escribed this kind of psychology as
blows:
Under the present authoritarian
system there are many who have
status and perogatives to protect,
dignity to uphold, rights to guard,
yestments of office to keep unspot-
ed. These spend energies Claimed
20 be democratic) accepting and
practices that have moth
ng but usage prejudice to rec
,mmend them"
Conceivably, Congress might, I'M
T terrific public pressure, set
} system of referenda on leading
lblic questions. To marshall suffi-
ent of such pressure is a herculean
SIX. Then if such system was set up
ould come a whole series of
r herculean jobs. These to
to the public all the facts bearing
each question submitted. Wise
bic decisions cannot be made other
Sc. Just think for a moment of the
Infusion in thought that would be
liberately created if Congress
ould submit for public vote the
estion, "Shall all hydro-electric
wer be taken over to public owner
pr Since about ninety per cent
all public expression and advice
geared to the idea of maintaining
rational status quo in all business
! politics public referenda would
,,bably change present policies and
practices very little.
While fully sympathetic with the
hor's view point on existing con-
ons and his zeal to better the
latlon | fear he has not found a
ledy. 1t might be helpful if he
I'D read THE UNFINISHED REV
UTlON IN CHINA, by Israel Ep-