The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-09
Governed BY an oliearchy.

Governed by an Oiigarchy.
The fact that Georgia held an cleo
ton this week for state officers. and
that the election was permitted to go
by default by the Republicans Of that
state. should not be overlooked by the
intelligent voters Of this country, who
are now debating In their minds the
question which political party should
be intrusted with the administration
OF national affairs 1t is not that the
occurrence is abnormal or unprecedent-
ed; the shame of it is that II is SO
ordinary matter, not only In Georgia
but in many other states Of the South.
that as a rule 1t passes without notice
and without comment
The numerical preponderance Of one
party over the other does not prevent
a full vote from being cast IN any of
the Northern states. While there is
never any real doubt as to the result In
Vermont or New Hampshire, for exam
pie. the Democratic minority never fails
to turn out in full force ana record its
vote at every succeeding election. The
same is true In every other state In the
Union save those which lie south OF
Mason and Dixon's line Colorado Re-
publicans preserved their organization
and cast their votes when, under the
influence of the free silver craze. the
Republicans were In = far more hope
less minority in Colorado than they
are In any single one OF the Southern
states.
The truth is that representative gov
eminent has ceased to exist In several
of the Southern states. The mass OF
the people are not permitted to express
their political preferences at the polls.
state officers have ceasd to be chosen in
state elections. but are selected solely
through the medium OF the primaries
OF one political party. Not state OH
Ger In any one out OF half a dozen of
the Southern states 10 the choice of
majority Of the people OF voting age in
that state. Those states are governed
by oltsarchies. not by the people.
How true this is is shown by q glance
at the votes by which these Southern
states return members OF the lower
house Of congress Out of the present
Democratic delegation from Georgia.
for example. Adamson was elected by
ANS votes; his Republican competitor
received 10; Livingstone received s.o27
votes: his Republican opponent. ca
Bartlett had soo5 votes: votes were
recorded against him: Fleming had
z.2so votes; Thomas Watson. popufist,
who ran against him. had Just gt
Taking the Southern states as a whole.
II was the rare exception when any sue.
cessful candidate for congress on the
Democratic ticket In 1875 received a
vote in excess OF 5000. In the two New
Hampshire districts the defeated Dem.
ocratic candidates for congress- in 1898
each received votes in excess Of 1900.
This state In taken for the purposes OF
contrast. because there. II anywhere.
the conditions were such that Il was
admitted In advance that the Demo
cratic nominees would have q hopeless
contest
There Is more In this than the mere
elimination Of the negro vote. There
is a complete elimination Of the bulk
OF the people. black or white. from any
participation In elections There Ia the
complete substitution OF tina party ma.
chine. the rtsls Of the active. profess.
sioH&i politicians. for the rule a. the
pcooss Under the forms Of the eonxti-
tuition. oligsrohie raie has been substi-
;utea for tsrnaera;lc There has ceased
TO he a participation nv the people IN
the choice ~ their ofi2cers, even In the
merely perfunotory way Of recording
their votes IN ne ballot box Only
very limited percentage % the people
exercise the franchise AZ An: and then
only 20 record the chosoa made by the
wielderH az POLITICAL power through ma
chinery outside cf the Law.
Yet Il Il only in states where this
system prevails that the Democrats
party has any certainty OF securing a
angle electoral vote In the present cam
paiEn. for every single one Of the
Northern and Western states IL either
safely Republican or doubtful with
this record behind It. the Democratic
party has the enrontery to claim 70 be
more Immediately representative Of the