The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-16
MAYOR JONES AND POLITICS.


Mayor Samuel n. Jones OF Toledo. o..
whose independent campaign for the gov
ernorship Of Ohio is one OF the most
unique features American politics has
known for years. has in the current hide
pendent an article entitled THE Needless
ness Of Political Parties" in which he as
serts and undertakes 10 show that mat
the two great political parties Of this coun-
~ are working wholly in Their own in
terests. principally fer The spois of office.
and that neither of them has the interests
Of the people at heart. Mr. Jones asserts
that both Of the political parties have been
without a moral issue for the last quarter
of a century. He hol s that one is as bad
as the other, that both are greedy for
spoils and plumber. that they care nothing
about the elevation of society or the
greatest good 10 the greatest number
and that they foster nothing so much as
place getting. There may have heen some
recent events so far as the Republican
party is concerned. such for instance as
Mr.. McKinicy's removing u large number
of government employees from the civif
service list, which would seem TO justify
in part Mr.. Jones conclusions. But, as a
matter Of fact, they do not
IT is difficult in fact almost impossible.
to question the value of political parties
in a republic like the UniteA States
OF course, there are evils attached to fac
tionaI and party politics, but they are
evils which would MOI be done away with
even In the event of the success Of an in
dependent, socialistlc movement Ike that
now being conducted by Mr.. Jones IN
Ohio. Were Mr.. Jones elected Governor OF
that state il is manifestly certain that he
would not surround himself by state Of
ficials OF the Republican or the Democratic
stamp. but would seek out those who are
in accord with his own views, irrespective
Of whether or not they were the
best and ablest men for the positions at
his disposal. Ii has been so with ai leaders
at all times in the worlds history. and
the spoiis system. though its evils may be
reduced 10 a minimum, will never be en-
trely done away with, under Mr.. Jones or
anybody else.
The question resolves itself therefore
down TO the value OF well organized par
ties which have at heart what they be-
lieve, at least. 10 be the interests of the
people. II is manifostly Impossible for The
party which trampes upon the peoples in
terests and rights. and persists in disre-
garding them 10 remain long in control OF
affairs The people themselves will repu-
date it and remove it from power. Thus
it is that with two we'll balanced parties,
il can be said that the United Staes are
well governed. Each party knows just What
it has TO contend against, and it knows
what it must promise and what it must
give the people, if it would achieve sue
cess.
However Mr.. Jones' Independent move
ment in Ohio is not a bad one from an
experimental point of view 1t is pretty
certain, according to those who have given
careful study to the situation that Mr.
Jones will not succeed in being elected
Governor of Ohio this year, though it is
conceded in some quarters there that he
may give both of the political parties a
pretty warm tussle in the next campaign,
tins judgment being based on the follow
ing which he has already accumulated.
In that event the Jones movement itself
would develop most speedily into politi-
cal party, and one which could not get
along without its heelers and its polite
ians. The needlessness of political parties
may be manifest to Mr.. Jones, but their
existence for several thousand years in
one shape or another is pretty strong evil
dence of the fact that they are somewhat
of a necessity to the human race.