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Whenever the republican form of government has not achieved success
the difficulty has not been with the system but with its faulty
application. Several dangerous experiments have been proposed, such as the initiative, referendum, recall, and the election of judges. Departures from constitutional principles threaten to impair the efficiency of our representative form of government, and if continued, will ultimately destroy it. Centralization. - Originally "every influence favored the supremacy of the State as the center of gravity in government." Conferring strong powers on the proposed central government was feared and avoided. With the development of industry, invention, business, and transportation, the different sections of the country were brought into such intimate and immediate contact that "the knell of State sovereignty was sounded and the supremacy of the Union became inevitable." New and practical problems confront the Government, such as - increase of governmental business; rise of technical questions in government; popular demand for greater speed in Government action, and increased size and unwieldiness of legislative bodies. Opposition to centralization of power in the National Government rests upon the general dislike of concentrated power, and its destructive influence on our philosophy of government. Sectional and class legislation. - Nothing is more repugnant to the American citizen than special or class legislation. The founders of our Government sought unity rather than differentiation. The Civil War settled for all time the question of the indissolubility of the Union. The general welfare of the Nation forbids sectional or class legislation. There must be no preference to the North, East, South, or West. Our motto should be "America for all, and all for America." Multiplicity of laws. - The modern tendency of government is to create innumerable laws as corrective or restrictive measures; appointment of special officers for their enforcement, with the consequent restriction of State, community, and personal rights, without regard to the fact that the majority is unprepared or not willing to accept or respond to the restrictions imposed. Relief from encroachment upon the rights of the people will come when each citizen better learns the art of self-government and exercises his right of franchise. Socialism, communism, anarchy. - The problems of capital and labor, employer and employee, can not be solved by unrepublican methods. The suggestion of special legislation is socialistic and communistic in its theory and wholly repugnant to the American character. Socialism or communism which negates property rights; anarchy which negates law; the substitution of "direct action" for representative government; a government ownership - all should be avoided as perils that threaten the very foundation of this Republic. Ignorance of citizens. - Webster said, "On the diffusion of education among the people rests the preservation and perpetuity of our free institutions." In the early Colonies one of the first buildings to be erected was the schoolhouse. Here was laid, developed, and subsequently spread the ideals of liberty. One of the foundation stones of representative government is education. An intelligent and informed citizen is an asset to the Nation. The great educational system of America makes it possible for every citizen to best fit himself for the tasks of life. In the common schools all are taught a common language, a knowledge of American traditions, ideals, and philosophy of government. Through education the barrier that separates the citizen from the greater enjoyment of his freedom is removed, a better understanding of American ideals is established, and the influence of subversive propaganda is in large measure destroyed. |
