The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-18

court have increased from =. .seo. 90 to over
8.O0c. .e0c. The Standard OIL msgnates and
the Sugar Trust kinss have rolled up
their millions Of pronts yearly In spite OF
the distress Of the farmers and laborers
who had to buy their sugars and oil. They
have donated millions to the great col
.teges. and stanford has alone planted q
colossal university on the Pacific coast.
Bat Its catalogues are not filled with sens
Of toll, or the farm, but with the children
Of the already wealthy. These universi-
ties. unless placed on q democratic basis,
will only widen the chasm between capital
and labor. The combination in American
politics. between corporations, capital and
corruption. makes mockery of the pro-
position that all men are created free and
equal. and imposes on the masses all the
expressions possible under the old feudal-
ism and all the calling inequalities be-
tween man ana man practiced by any
landed aristocracy. Unless the people
can win back the right to delegate their
sponsibility from the first Inception of
the primary, or caucus. to the highest
nominating convention, and Omce-holders
In general, we shall see built up in our
and power gained by corruption, and
trampling under foot the last vestige Of
the liberties of the people.
So long as the primaries are left open to
manipulation Of interested parties there
will be no separation Of city, county.
state and rational government. Even the
school election Is made to contribute Its
quota Of spoils to the machine. and teacn-
ers are appointed and traded into placeS
by means Of the political pull" The city
primaries are packed to secure county Of
fees and state appointments. The federal
patronage Is used to build up the heelers,
in the contest for state offices and legis-
latures. So wheels revolve within wheels
until the ordinary citizen Is amazed at
the confusion and intricacy of the politi-
~ -
manage. But the main wheel that drives
all the vast and complicated mechanism
OF American politics Is the unprotected
primary. We protect the ballot-box the
treasury, the courts and some minor de-
partments OF government from selfish at-
tacks Of interested parties. But we leave
the primary. the source and handspring Of
all our political. procedures, to the con-
Itrol Of the governing class, who are In
terested not In the governed and still less
In good government. We all understand
that the bosses are not In politics for their
health. that their business Is political trick
cry and rascality; yet We expect the men
they nominate to be honest. Everybody
knows where the serpent OF evil lies, but
no one has been able to scotch II.
]. With our local, county, state and general
elections all inter-meshing and often held
at the same time. the manipulation OF the
to the man who has his living to make out
Of politics.. When he IL left to place his
own estimate upon the Importance OF his
service. 10 1t any surprise. whether honest
ly or dishonesty, he places II sumclently
high? II he sets In motion the wheel that
drives all the other wheels In the mill OF
politics-the primary-why shall he not
take SUFFICIENT toll? When we have re.
formed the primaries so that no man shall
govern us without the consent of the
governed. when we haye, separated local,
state and federal elections SO that one
boss cannot, by manipulating one set OF
control our affairs from the school
district to the presidents appoint
ments, then can we be said to have self
government by the people. and not until
| then shall We be able to have hsnest Of
| ficials. When the sheriff who draws the
Jury and the judges on the bench no lon
| ger owe their places to the machine. we
| may be able to convict the man who has
worked the machine to corruptly enrich
himself and others. Even though local
| to Time so long as the present primary
| system prevails, they are held under one
machine and the people get but little BEN
eft from voting at different times for
either abolish the present delegate con-
| vention and primary. or we must safe
guard It by laws as stringent as the ballot
| laws, provide for holding the primaries 1T
all parties for their choice Of candidates
| at the same time and place.
II II II
"A History Of the American Tariff"
| (Chicago: Charles Fl. Kerr & Coz Is
| an opportune production by Eugene G.
Lewis. 1t treats Of the period from
| 1889 to 1860 and, gives handy sum-
mary Of historical facts. but does not
| argue either for or against protection.
| A. portrait OF ex-governor Mckinley
adorns the title page.
II IE,di
| How to Live Well on Twenty five
Cents Day" New York: j. s. Ogilvie
Pub. Co.. 81 Rose ST. contains a series
Of good daily menus, with cost figured
down to 25 cents day for each plate;
also. many valuable hints and helps for
housekeepers. all by Mrs. Gesine
Lemcke, Of the Cooking college, Brook
| lyD. --.s