The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-01
The Thinkers.
SOME CRITICISMS OF THE PARTY
SPIRIT IN POLITICS.

In
1. It is all right to have a fixed
time for voting on candidates for
office. because this matter is gov
erned by the duration Of their office
but voting on political questions IS
an altogether different thing, and
should be dermined according to cir
cumstances, necessity, or ex~pedience.
2. Under our present system, bal
lots are cast more for men than on
the issues of the day. Indeed, it
cannot be said that we vote on pOliti-
cal Questions at all except in the
ems of voting for a party, and this
method generally fails to secure an
expression of the will of the people
except on a few questions, which
may, at the time, be deemed para
mount to the others. The only real
a to vote on local or national
issues is to consider. them singly,
while a party represents several
issues. To illustrate this principle
more clearely, suppose that one finds
in the platform of the party he has
always antagOnized the advocacy Of
reforms for whose establishment he
has long hoped and on the other
hand, sees in the platform of his own
party, a few planks to which he is
strongly opposed. What is voting to
him but a choice between the nor
desirable of two good measures, or
between the lesser of two evil ones?
And this hypothetical case is often
experienced in fact, as many voters
will testify. O, what folly for in
telligent men to tolerate a system
under which the party convention
complies a prescription made up OF a
tumble Of party issues and compels
them either to swallow the whole at
one dose or reject it altOgetherr!
By all means, let us strive to. Sc
cure a system which will admit of
our voting on political questions
singly aud entirely separately from
candidates for office. 1t might be
possible to use a ballot with all the
party platforms on it, and with a
place reserved for an *" opposite
each plank, so that one could vote on
each question according to his con-
victiOns. This plan would be an inn
provement over the old system, as
serving to more perfectly indicate
opinion, if it did nothing else.
3. The system falls far short of Sc
curing complete representative gov
eminent. It certainly is not COM
plete representative government,
where we elect men to office and en-
trust to them the task of legislating
for us, with no check upon their pro-
ceedings exceptpublic opinion (whOse
mandates, by the way, are not al
ways obeyed1 with no NEAR of mi
tiating legislation except by petition
(Which is not nearly so effective as
lObbying) with no possibility of
having their legislative acts refer
red to us for approval or condemna-
ton (by the ballot, [ mean). Of
course, it will be acknowledged that
complete representative government
is too ideal ever to be realized in a
country whose population is not far
short of 80, 900, 900. Still, any prac-
tical system that is an Improvement
over the present is worthy of care
full study. Therefore, I present to
the consideration of the readers of
The Farmers Voice, the reform
known as "direct legislation" I'M
der which is included the initiative,
referendum and imperative man
.ate.-Ray A. Dyke, in Farmers
Voice.
THE TAXATION OF MORTGAGES.