The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1873-03-21

mate power without the aid Of organization
or machinery. Imagine US voting in this
district for members Of Congress with some
previous agreement or combination about
candidates Forty different men would un.
doubtediy be voted for, and the apostle Of
some false or transient issue probably cho-
sen BY plurality.
THE NEED or COMBINATION.
This need of combination is the oppor-
tunity Of the politician. Nay, more, it
makes him necessity. Thus the machin-
cry Of politics supplies want. 1t is a
growth rather than device. The power
lessness Of public opinion in the direct Sc
lection Of its representatives in wide con-
stituencies creates such vacuum as nature
abhors, and a supplementary agency has
arisen in the form Of party organization
that is as spontaneous as it is irresistible.
Like true parasite, as it is, this growth
has sucked the juices from the parent tree
-as may often be seen in tropical forests,
till Of that nothing remains but crumbng
flores or an empty shell. Like many para
sites, too, it so initiates, for selfprotectlon,
the hues Of that on which it feeds, that it
is taken for function of the people which
it has in reality utterly emasculated.
TUE TRUE REMEDY.
1t is obvious in the first place, that in or.
der to restore to the people the power Of
intelligent choice and spontaneous accord
at elections SO that the machinery Of poll
clans may be superfuous and their deyc 5
powerless, it is absolutely necessary to mar
row primary constituencies to the limits Of
ordinary acquaintanceship and neighbor-
hood repute. To do this under our present
system OF direct election of public officers
is obviously impossible. 1t would make
public functionaries incOnveniently and un-
proftably numerous.
There is but one resort. 1--WE must take
a lesson from the politicians themselves. 1t
is the caucuschosen delegates, falsely claim
ing to represent the people, that now in el.
feet elect and appoint all public fuuctiona.
rss. The people must transfer the priyi
lego Of electng their servants now nomi
nally exercised at the ballot box, to repre-
sentative electors. The caucus must be
not simply legalzed, but substituted for tht
polls. 70 this field must the function O
the voter be confined, and the representa-
tive electors there chosen must not simply
nominate, but appoint, all public officers
Thus the people, dscarding the shadow o.
power, will secure IFS substance. Only b
this change Of the function Of the vote
can the size Of the constituency Of whicI
he forms part be limited to the ordinar,
circle Of personal acquaintance, and th'
freeman be enabled intelligently to dis
charge his political duty.
THIS CHANGE NOT ENOUGH.
f But this change alone in our politica
| system will by no means be enough, Fo
, it is obvious that with the caucus under it
present form and geographical limits thu
, egaized and enthroned, its action woul
inevitably be anticipated by an earlier yo
untary caucus, controlled and used, as
i the present caucus, by politicians, and thu
!. the people would remain nearly as powe
/ less as they are now.
a Some way must therefore be contrlve
Il to make It impossible for the politician an
r Office seeker to manipulate this primar
O convention,-th ancient town meeting {
r. the people, or to anticipate its action. |
Il order to do this, the constituency of til
a representative elector must be determine
4 aud established on some principle herett
II fore untried.
u The feature in the construction Of polit
4 cal constituencies that now renders the
:. an easy field for the operations of the p
\ litca manager, aud thus makes the publ
a. interests his prey, is their fixed and ge
,f graphical boundaries. The civil division
\ Of the State are the map Of the polite
~ engineer. Canvasses Of counties and towr
I are his tables of calculation. By these
Ia lays out his work, calculates his wants, di
n LtlDules us iOlCSsl hlHhSs no Sombluotip
.. lays his pipe and rolls his logs. They fur
j. ish the critical opportunity, the veritah
a standing place on which party organizati,
C. securely rests. Ii We take them away
footing will be gone, it's strength will
ar come weakness, and the de.potic and mi
!, icient giant will disappear from the seer
- THE TRUE METHOD.
of 1t is the chief purpose of this essay
he present device by means of which Il
th vital object can be accomplished.
or The constituency Of the represeutati
a elector must be established by lot. +
Ia. this purpose let the voters 10 town
ss ward be registered. Let their names
o. publicly drawn by the proper authorities