Next, the Executive. Again, we hear the demand of Democracy,--the
Recall! Once more I revert to the record. This Republic has now been in
working operation, and, taken altogether, most successful operation,
for a century and a quarter. During that century and a quarter we have
had, we will say, some five and twenty different chief magistrates.
There is an ancient and somewhat vulgar adage to the effect that the
proof of a certain dietary article is in its eating. Apply that homely
adage to the matter under consideration. What is the lesson taught? It
is simply this,--during a whole century and a quarter of existence there
has not been one single chief executive of the United States to whom the
arbitrary Recall could have been applied with what would now be agreed
upon as a fortunate result. In the Andrew Johnson impeachment case was
it not better that things were as they were? On the other hand, every
one of the seven independent, self-respecting Senators who then by a
display of high moral courage saved the country from serious prejudice
would have been recalled out-of-hand had the Recall now demanded been in
existence. Its working would have received prompt exemplification; as it
was, the recall was effected in time, and after due deliberation. The
delay occasioned no public detriment. In this life, experience is
undeniably worth something; and the experience here referred to is
fairly entitled to consideration. No political system possible to devise
is wholly above criticism,--not open to exceptional contingencies or to
dangers possible to conjure up. Such have from time to time arisen in
the past; in the future such will inevitably arise. This consideration
must, however, be balanced against a general average of successful
working; and I confidently submit that, weighing thus the proved
advantage of the system we have against the possibilities of danger
which hereafter may occur, but which never yet have occurred, the scale
on which are the considerations in favor of change kicks the beam.