Show CONSTITUTION LEADS NATION TWIXT CHAOS AND ANARCHY Outstanding Feature Pro Pro- Provides Pro Pro- vides ides for Establishment of Republic WARNING IS ISSUED Trend Toward Democracy Should Be Corn Corn- batted View EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE OTE This article arU le tells how the Constitution steers between tyranny tranny and chaos Tomorrows Tomorrow's story The tenth in Mr Kir Atwoods Atwood's series series of twelve will wili explain how the Constitution Constitution Constitution avoids class Ss consciousness BY Y hARRY RRY AT ATWOOD WOOD President Constitution Anniversary Association NE of the outstanding features ONE O and chief merits of the federal Constitution Is that It provides for fora a strictly representative e form of na sia- national government and In article IV section 4 guarantees a representative form of ol government to each of or r the the states A republic therefore Is the stand stand- standard standard standard ard form of government adopted by bythe bythe bythe I the Constitution for the nation and for Tor the states This is a fundamental fact which Is too frequently overlook overlook- overlooked ed cd resulting in irs much confusion overlook overlook-I THREE E BASIC ASIC FORMS There are Just three basic forms of government ro I An autocracy Is a a. form of govern govern- government government ment in which a monarch I derives power through heredity and permits too oo little participation by the people with a final result of reaction against tyranny I A republic Is a form of government In n which power Is vested ested In regularly selected elected representatives with author author- authority Ity ty to act and decide public questions author I It t provides Just enough participation by y the people In governmental affairs I and nd leads to orderly progress A democracy Is a form of govern govern- government government government ment In which the people speak and act ct directly on public questions It permits too much participation by the people eople and finally results in chaos GOLDEN MEDIUM I The authors of the Constitution seemed to understand clearly cl the meaning and Importance of the law la lawf I If f f the It- It effectively to the science of govern govern- government ment It Is that middle point govern I or de degree de- de degree degree gree in any quality state or activity which avoids the dangers or errors of either ither extreme by the striking of a I well-balanced well medium In the study of any science or of any ny problem we can learn much by I observing the laws of nature Too little food means starvation the proper amount of food makes for I health too much food means gluttony Again too little seed means meager crops Just enough seed aced means the best est possible crops too much seed I means crops sickly from over crow over crowd ti ting tag ng There Is no sphere of activity In itt which the extremes are more dis- dis disastrous I or the mean more beneficial than ban in the realm of government Some illustrations of the results arc arcs arcas arcas as s follows Extreme Golden Mean Extreme Autocracy Republic Democracy Autocrats Statesmen Demagogues Bondage Liberty License Reaction Progress Chaos Toward the latter part of the last century agitation became Insistent for direct primaries the initiative the referendum and the recall and many of f the states have enacted legislation providing for these methods of direct action These Innovations were Inspired be because be- be because cause of charges that conventions I be-I were not naming good candidates that the he legislative bodies were enacting undesirable laws and that public of- of officIal officials were w re frequently untrustworthy Unfortunately there was much jus- jus justification for these contentions but It Its Itis itis is s a debatable question whether the Introduction of the direct action of democracy Is s the proper remedy as ashe the he evils resulting from the change sometimes seem greater ST gr ater than those which It sought to rectify re Dane DanL r signals all along the line warn us to halt the present dangerous trend from a republic toward a demos demos- racy |