The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-03-17
The Spring Caucuses.

At irregular intervals in nearly all
cities the more or less cursory atten-
ton of citizens is called to the clamor
of impractical idealists who have sud-
denly awakened to a realization of some
of the mistakes in the way certain pub
lie matters have been managed,
matters in which, of course, they have
taken no interest before, and who seek
to solve all difficulties for the rest of
time-or at least the next yearly the
foisting of q citizens ticket on the pub
lie. These spasmodic attempts at i'm
proving things are to certain extent
praiseworthy of course, in so far as
they are honest, even If they are usual
lv impractical and nearly always short
sighted, but the wise man who really
wishes to make improvements in the
personnel of . city government will
rather make use of the tools already in
use than cast them aside to attempt to
make use of new and untried one.
The uses to which political parties can
be put seldom seem to suggest them
selves to such reformers, nor do the
party caucuses appeal to them as in
struments by which the list of officials
can be much more easily and surely
controlled than by the onerous methods
of citizens tickets.
The fact remains. however, and it is
of especial moment at present to The
TIMES readers since the republican
caucuses in this city, and most of the
townships as we'll, will be held before
the next issue of this paper, that the
party organizations as they already ex-
ist, offer opportunities where active
interest and energetic work will have
better results than a much greater
amount of work which is expended
along any other lines. But it is so easy
for Americans to make laws and form
new organizations that they sometimes
forget that they will still have the same
kind of men left in their cities ana on
their farms, and that after all far more
depends on the men themselves than on
the laws or organizations under which
they work. Thus it happens that men
spend vast amounts of energy in revis-
ing laws, making new ones, and devils
ing new organizations only to be disap-
pointed when they are done because
they have wasted more energy in get
ting new machine of different pat
tern than it would have taken to oil up
the old one and set it running like
top. But the energy was expended in
getting the new one, and when set in
motion there was not enough energy
left to make it run any better than the
old one and perhaps not as we'll
With these conditions in mind The
TIMES urges every republican in the
county, whether he be one who has taken
an active interest in the running of the
party organization or not to take
hold in the few days that are left before
the caucuses are held and put in some
lively work for the best men at their
disposal. They will find it much easier
than to organize any citizens party and
then go through the same hunt for suit
able men to place on it, and there is no
occasion for such action any way.
There is no man of any standing who
has any desire to improve conditions
but who would find himself welcomed
into the republican party, if not already
there, and there he will find that
he has Just as much influence for the
good, even in local politics, as if he
were working for citizens ticket,
one to be agreed upon. 1t is
not the form which needs changing nor
is it the name, but party caucuses will
not run themselves with any better
results than will other affairs, and the
best men should get out and all should
unite in making the spring caucuses the
most representative and the most pro-
ductive of good results for improved
conditions in this county of any ever
held. Don't waste any energy working
to secure citizens tickets in any pre-
cinct or idle wishes in longing for one.
In nihety-nine out of hundred cases
there is no need for one. Make your
own caucuses the place where you show
your interest and put up men even bet
ter than citizens ticket would secure.
Have pride in your party that extends
to local affairs and see that it stands for
what is best in local affairs as well as
the national organization stands for the
best in the greater affairs of state. Let
this week and next be busy ones getting
ready for the caucuses.
The legislatures In Delaware and Utah,
one republican and the other democratic,
adjourned without electing u. s. Senators.