REVIEW OF WRITINGS OF H. W. SCOTT 195

self-seeking of candidates for office. Mr. Scott's remedy was an adjustment between the old and the new systems party conventions prior to primaries, the platform and candidates of the former to be submitted to the latter. This plan he was urging at the time of his death. It was rejected in the sub- sequent election by defeat of the convention candidates. It may be remarked in passing that even the original advocates of direct primaries in Oregon are not all favorable to continu- ance of the system. They admit the unsatisfactory results and now urge "preference voting," whereby primaries would be abolished and nominations and elections consolidated.

Mr. Scott objected not so much to the referendum as to the initiative. Both,, he pointed out, were designed for occasional or emergency use, but the initiative had opened the way to innovators, faddists and agitators, who took the opportunity to inflict their notions upon legislation at every election. The initiative, open as in Oregon to such small percentage of electors, was leading to visionary extremes and what was most serious to unequal taxation. It was a menace to political peace and security which could not be long tolerated by con- servative elements of the people. It was supplanting repre- sentative government the best known method of democratic cohesion and safest means of protection for property. It was superseding the old Oregon constitution a wisely framed instrument. It was reverting to "pure democracy" which his- tory had proved inferior to republican form of government. "Representative government is the only barrier between an- archy and despotic monarchy. The whole people cannot take the time nor give themselves the trouble to examine every subject or every question. The Polish Diet or Parliament consisted of 70,000 Knights on horseback. There was no sufficient concentration of authority. The consequence, need- less to say, is that Poland as a nation, long ago ceased to exist. It was the same in Ireland. There was no concentration, no centralization of authority, under representative government. There was too much 'primary law/ Ireland, therefore, is not a nation, except in aspiration, forever unrealizable." An-