University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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THE REDWOOD II THE ELECTION OF UNITED STATES SENATORS [winning speech in the annuai ryi and debate] Resolved, That the United States Senators should be elected by the direct vote of the people. First Negative. Mr. Chairman: The subject under consideration to- night is remarkable for its direct sim- plicity. It is a question which must be fought out on straight lines; one which, happily for judges and debaters alike, affords no speaker an opportunity to in- fuse into it adroit and subtle quibbles without dodging the issue. Conform- ing, therefore, to so univocal and un- complicated a subject, I will endeavor to make my discussion of it direct and to the point. Briefly then my argumentation is trisected. First — If after recalling to your minds the sacredness of our consti- tution, and the remarkable circum- stances of its birth and adoption, I can show cogent reasons why this same constitution must be regarded with re- spect and reverence, and can demon- strate to your satisfaction that it is a real and positive duty for each and every citizen of this country to jealously guard this heritage, and to regard every constitutional change as an evil, even though it be a necessary evil, I prove my point. However, allow me here to remark that I do not for a moment hold that the constitution is immutable. I merely derive, from the nature of any constitution, and the re- markable and sacred associations of ours, the truth that light inconsequential tampering with it is to be Strenuously decried. The consideration of which truth brings us to the second point. If in this second place, I can prove that the proposed amendment possesses grave intrinsic evils, that it is unwise, pernicious and a menacfe to our national virtue and prosperity, I again prove my point. Finally assuming as proved premises these first two points, namely, that constitutional alteration is an evil, and that the proposed innovation pos- sesses serious intrinsic evils, I ground my third point upon the self evident truth that to counterbalance these evils, the reasons for such a change to such a constitution must be grave, apparent and convincing. If in my third point I can show that the reasons for this amendment are not grave, apparent and convincing, and therefore do not coun- terbalance or justify the two neces- sary evils to the change, I am willing in all confidence to leave the fate of this bill in the hands of the judges. We first proceed therefore to a con- sideration of the constitution — its sacred- ness, the respect due it from every one, and the necessity for deliberation before tampering with any of its clauses. Un- doubtedly the best form of government for a country made up of so many heter- ogeneous elements as is ours, is a repub-

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lo THE REDWOOD MY CLOCR I have a clock tliat never stops; ' Twas God wlio gave it motion: Nothing that ' s made may purchase it, Not earth, nor sky, nor ocean. It ' s form is the form of the human heart, I know it ' s every feature; It ' s movements God and I control. Unseen by mortal creature. As dear as life this clock to me; My days of life it numbers; E ' en when fatigue has closed my eyes. It never, never slumbers. Yet when the final struggle comes My life from time to sever; Alas! I know this clock shall stop; But not, oh not forever. William J. Barry, ' io.

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12 THE REDWOOD lie. The plan of government of a re- public seems to be best adapted to the principles of the equality of men and the rights of persons which God has written on the human heart. But for this very reason the evolving of such a system is extremely difficult, and the attainment of the lofty end of govern- ment is well nigh impossible. The problem of government is for a nation to preserve itself, to keep its forces united, and to direct all to the national good and common end. The common end of government is national prosperity sub- ordinated to public honesty and virtue. A difficult problem truly, an end hard indeed of attainment, as the htstory of nations too eloquently testifies. Con- sider Greece, that earliest of mighty re- pubUcs, what is left of Greece save only her own footprints on the sands of his- tory marking the path she trod into ob- livion? And Rome, that city of destiny that sat upon her seven hills and ruled the world? Naught of Rome is left but the poor broken fragments of a once powerful republic. And to come down to our own times what are we to think of the pitiful South American republics that spring into life in a night like a mushroom and have no more stability than a leaf in a cyclone? And France, poor, failing, tempest-tossed, decaying France, what are we to say of her? She who once sat among the rulers of the continent, now caught up in a whirlpool of religious strife, fast becoming a national suicide, an apostate to the faith of her fathers? Where is the strength of republics? The paths of time are strewn with the wreckage of the world ' s republics, and out of the desolation comes that cry, Where is the stability of nations? And yet the United States stands today and has stood for 115 years a power among her peers in the galaxy of nations. History tells her the story of the decay of others, around her she sees governments like herself slipping from their foundations of sand into the sea; while she grounded on a rock re- mains unshaken. Whence the differ- ence? Simply because our forefathers under divine inspiration have given us a constitution unique, rock ribbed, on on which to rear the bulwarks of a nation. Our government is builded upon our constitution and our constitu- tion was moulded and hammered on the anvil of affliction. In the words of our own Stephen M. White: ' Kvery scheme of government for every other nation in the world has failed and been changed in the last century. Our con- stitution alone has stood the test of time and has proved the most perfect system ever devised for a self governing peo- ple. The constitution was planned in troubled times; it bears about it the odor of honorable battle smoke; it is a wonderful instrument on which the success unparalelled of our first century ' s existence rests as a solemn seal of God ' s approval. V hen we consider this we must realize the sacredness of our con- stitution and how to tamper with it is betraying the confidence of the men who framed it. Our fathers purchased it with their lives; its clauses are written in their heart ' s blood. Which of our