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

artifce or a conspiracy. Free Masonry, or
the Order Of the Jesuits, crowning works
of human skill in organization, are like
children's cob-houses in the weakness and
incoherence of their structure, when com
pared with the machinery Of party politics
in this country. This mighty power cannot
but be rooted in the elementary structure
Of our political system. Its cause and foot
hold must be sought for in the deepest re-
lations Of the popular will to the functions
of government If thepopular will SO fails
Of its purpose, it must be because some
obstacle, fixed in the plan itself Of the gov
ernment, hnders it from reaching the helm
Of affairs.
THE CHOICE or PUBLIC OFFICERS.
The only active relation that the mass Of
the people sustain towards government in
republic consists in choice of public Off
GERS. Everything depends on the manner
in which this function is discharged. We
shall have good government when the people
elect good men. This is trnism, but like
an axiom in geometry, it is necessary to be
kept in mind 1t will aid in the solution Of
the problem.
In what class Of cases are popular cleo
tions most fortunate in their results Are
there any circumstances under which the
people, as general rule, elect fit men Is
there any element the presence or absence
Of which appears generally to make suita
bic choice Of their agents certain or uncer-
tain II we scrutiniza the results of our
system Of popular elections in its different
spheres we shall not fail to notice that it
works well in small, and i'll in large constit-
uencies. The affairs Of towns and other
small civil divisions are well managed, their
officers. honest and competent, and truly
representative Of the public will and opin
ion. Bnt for the facetious presence Of
party divisions in their affairs, popular eec
ton would here be almost perfect in its
results.
LARGE AND SMALL CONSTITUENCIES.
On the other hand, our present system
does not work satisfactorily in the choice Of
members OF Congress, Of municipal officers,
Of governors, presidents and other repre-
sentativos Of large constituencies. Neither
are the affairs Of the other civil divisions
that they represent on the whole well con
ducted. A test case may be found on a
comparison Of the purity and general fitnass
of legislators in Pennsylvania and New
York on the one hand, and IN Massschu.
setts and Vermont on the other. In the
former states each member of the Assembly
represents about twenty-five thousand peo.
pie in the latter between one and two
thousand. In the legislatures Of the latter
states the lobby has only Of late got ans
foothold, aud honest and tolerably ntelli
gent legislatiation is the rule 10 the former
the lobby is omnipotent, the pretence o
public virtue has almost disappeared anC
legislation has become thing from which
the people rather fear evil than expect good
The cause Of this difference is not hard t
, find. 1t lies at the bottom of all our diff
culties.
Only in the sphere Of intelligence an
freedom can man act wisely. The funC
tion of voting ideally implies intelligen
and unhndersd choice. Its proper dscharg
> involves that the voter shall have actua
| knowledge of the fitness Of the man 70
: whom he votes for the place that he is t
: FILL Such knowledge may he based on pc
+ sonal acquaintance or on that neighborhoo
: repute which is the safest Of all guides t
0 character In nsrrow constituencies thi
e kind of intelligence is not only possible br
d actual. The mass Of the people both kno
+ the candidate that may be proposed. an
have sufficient knowledge OF the funt
8 tions which they will if elected, be calle
G upon to fill. In small constituencies, NOR
Q over, any subordination of differences (
l. opinion, or combination Of preferences, thu
r may be necessary to effect such accord {
g will make the will of the majority substa
). TALLY appear il the result, is PRACTICAL
1t without the intervention Of political m
% chinery. 10 narrow constituencies, ther
fore, the action Of the elector is both inte
ligent and unfettered. The results accor
y iugly are generally as good as the imperfe
/, tions Of human nature admit Of.
,s Ia large constituencies, on the 9th
.e hand, such as that Of member of Congret
u or, in the larger states, of the Legislatul
an intelligent exercise of the franchise
" the voter is generally impossible, for t
AZ want of wide enough acquaintance wi
ir candidates through personal knowledge
% common repute, as well as for want Of
Of just appreciation Of the duties Of the 81
,e tion to be filed. What can the great ma
a. of the people know Of the fitness of Fra