The herald., 1898-12-19
HAZARD and BLISS
DISCUSS POSTAL PRIMARIES AND
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM
Meeting AT VINCENT HALL
Large Audience at the Regular Sun
day Afternoon Gathering of the
Union Reform League

The meeting of the Union Reform league
yesterday at Vincent hail was one of more
than ordinary interest. A good audience
awaited the Rev. w. d. p. Bliss and ex-
Mayor Henry T Hazard. both OF whom
were advertised to speak.
Mr.. Hazard was first introduced, and
smoke on the merits of the postal primary
election system. He alluded to the tiual OF
that mode by tho League for Better City
Government two years ago, and lamented
the fact that the last election was allowed
to go by default, the bosses beng lett to
designate the nominees.
Two years ago there were 1923 names en-
rolled on the membership lists OF the league,
and 37O0 of them responded by mail to the
request that they give expression TO their
preferences as to local candidates. Taking
into account the absentees, very full ex-
preston was secured. Unfortunately, the
system was not adopted with reference to
the selection OF board of freeholders for re-
vision of the city charter.
The speaker alluded to the disgaceful
conditions existing in politics in California,
which made Dan Burns the logical candi-
date of the party in power for election to
the United States senate, and cries OF
"Shame" Shame!" were heard throughout
the hall. Burns boodling record was brief
" rehearsed and hasty glance taken at
Buckley, Crimmines and Others, whose cor
rupt practices have been the disgrace OF the
state. Mr.. Hazard declared the sole rem
edy at hand was to be found in the assump-
ton of higher political duty by the people
at large. If left to the railroad and bood-
ling elements to select the candidates of the
parties, reform would forever be an empty
word.
81 believe in the people," said MIR. Haz-
ard. "I believe if they are permitted to
shape the policy Of government they will
correct the evils NOW so manifest. think
in the postal primary system we have
method Of control which opens the way to
better government. Look at the official
staff at the city hall and the court house.
Who do you find there? Why, the men
who have been prominent in the conventions
They have helped to nominate and elect the
winning heads of departments, and they
receive appointment as deputies In salts
faction of their claims for political support.
"Do away with conventions, adopt the
postal primary system, and the men nomi-
mated to office will owe their success to the
people at large, instead of to the clique OF
political scoundrels who make the working
of conventions business. Once in while
now we have a spasm of reform, and the bet
ter sort of people turn out to the primaries
and carry the election, but the spasm does
not last. The postal primary system will
reach these men every time. In the quiet
of their homes they weigh the qualities OF
the candidates whose names are printed
on the ballots and they elect those whom
TREY know to be deserving of advancement"
The water fight was referred to by the
speaker and the folly of granting to private
corporations the use and development of
public utilities was denounced most
scathing terms. Men elected to office by
the existing system of nominations were
bound up and forced to favor schemes which
could never be carried out with men un-
pledged when elected to office to favor
them. After allowing the water company to
use the water belonging to the city for thirty
years, we now learn that we have a fight
on to get it back. Men in public office,
members of the council, have not the STAN.
ina to introduce or vote for resolution
re jecting absolutely such a scheme as the
Kessler proposition, or taking back that
which belongs to the people
Program vote" said Mr.. Hazard, zen.
ables the bosses to control legislation in the
council and in the legislature. If you want
a measure carried you are told to see so and
so; if he says it is all right it goes, if not, it
don't go. Elect public office holders with
out the intervention of bosses, and you will
not be compelled to secure the support OF
the bosses whenever you wish to secure the
co-operation of officials
Various inquiries were addressed to the
speaker, who said in response that he use
of the postal system for the furtherance of
partisan ends would, be impracticable,; that
by the plan OF voting under the "preferen-
tiaP' system, the real wishes of the people
could be better consulted than if they were
left to vote for only one man, their first
choice being marked "one," their second
"two," etc.
One man suggested not only doing away
with partisan primary elections, but par.
tisan conventions as we'll, extending the
postal primaries to the actual nomination
of public officials, and not confining it to the
election of delegates to convention. to
whose judgment should be left the moro
serious business OF nominating the men later
to be voted for. The apparent sense of
bose present was favorable to such exten.
sion of the plan, but the benefits to be DE-.
rived from the more elementary use of tho
postal ballot were generally recognized and
approved Mr.. Hazard favored the Use
OF the great register in conducting primary
elections by mail, every voter being entitled
to participate in the choice.
The Rev. Mr.. Bliss then gave a review of
his recent trip to the eastern states and rhe
condition of the reform movement, general.
ly known as Christian Socialism. which be
had noted in his travels At Chicago tbe
attendance at the meetings had greatly in
creased, the press was giving very satisfac-
tory reports, and a general hunger for the
most radical Christian social instruction was
everywhere manifested. B. Fay Mills. tbc
evangelist, is doing excellent work at Bos.
ton, and everywhere an awakening of moral
conscience was perceptible.
In opposition to this, it was a fact. the
speaker said, that there was great wave of
corruption sweeping over the land, the fran
chise controversy in Chicago being illus
trative of a general tendency. The indus
trial conditions are still unsatisfactory, the
alleged payment of mortgages in Kansas and
elsewhere being great exaggerations. But
radical reforms are advocated everywhere.
The ideas of Tolstoi having in some places
taken firm root, but the sociaEstic idea
everywhere predominant. Direct legisla-
tion, issue of money by the government di-
rect, the requirement by the people of in
tercsts now held as monorolies hy nr-vo+o