The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-30
Josiah Quincy

applause. He referred TO the recent
Democratic victories in Worcester and
the presence of Judge Putnam on
Democratic platform because he wants
to be with the substance and not the
name of the Republican party. He SAID
he was glad to see Senator Hoar
standing with the Democratic party on
the basic principle of the republic, as
is shown by his refusal to deliver an
eulogy on the late President Mckinley
because he did not and could not agree
with his policy In the Philippines In
discussing the issues of the campaign,
Mr.. Quincy said
1.-THE Democratic platform contains
an important proposal which has been
long and ably advocated by a gentle
man whose name was prominently
mentioned in the press for the Demo-
cratic nomination for Governor this
year: 1 desire to call special attention
tonight to our demand that every
branch of our state government should
be classed as a department and that
every head Of a department should
have a seat upon the floor of the Leg
islature without a vote, and be sub
ject to proper questioning as to mat
tiers under his charge" This is to my
mind one of the simplest reforms, yet
in it's results one of the most far
reaching, which could be introduced in
Jour state government. The change
would be slight one in form, but in
its effect it would have a powerful
tendency to unity our state government
and to introduce the principle or re-
sponsibility through the whole organi-
Zation.
Besides the boards of trustees of
charitable and reformatory institutions,
there are 30 independently organized
departments of our state government.
So great is the multiplicity of our ad
ministrative agencies that they are
quite beyond the comprehension of the
average citizen, and even the student of
public affairs finds no small difficulty
in finding out what the government of
this state really consists Of l am not
opposed to the modern tendency
toward specialization in public work.
much less to the creation of unpaid
boards of trustees for the performance
of certain of it's branches. But as
government becomes more complex, it
ID of greater Importance that it should
be logically organized, and that every
one of it's branches should be con-
staRtly kept in relation with some CEN
tire of authority
"All agencies of our state govern
ment which are not of sufficient dig
nifty or Importance to rank as indie
pendent departments should be proper
ly grouped under appropriate depart
ments, as they are in the federal gov
eminent, instead of being allowed tC
stand by themselves without relation tC
other branches of work or proper
subordination to any higher authority
If the vast work of our federal gov
eminent can be well organized, as il
! is, under eight departments with theil
appropriate divisions and bureaus, il
is surely unnecessary to have six OF
seven times as many departments Il
IL 49,
wealth. A proper classification an(
grouping of these various boards AM
officials would certainly tend to sim
plify and improve our state organiZa
1 tion as well as to introduce the princi
, pie of responsibility now so conspicu
ously absent Every appropriate
ought to be made directly to some de
partment, and the head of that depart
a ment ought to be responsible for it
: expenditure. It certainly should b
4 possible to bring all the business o
4 the state under a score of depart
8 ments at a liberal estimate.
4 eff then, the heads of these depart
t ments, many of whom would be re
e sponsible for a number of divisions o
t bureaus, were given seats Withou
r votes upon the floor of our House o
Representatives, a step would be takel
which would at once connect depart
mental work with the body which ap
propriates the money for carrying /
on. The only effective check upon ex
|. ecutive or administrative authority
o lies in the power possessed by the legis
/, lative representatives of the people O
n annually making item by item, the ap
preparations for carrying on the worn
of government.
. cat present many of our commits
sions are altogether too remote from
popular control; they constitute little
independent contres of government by
themselves, practically out of the
reach either of the Legislature or of
the governor, unless some fragrant
abuse calls for extraordinary action.
Such a thing happens but infrequent-
ly, while the pressure of official re-
sponsibility should be constantly felt.
Many things are done in the darkness
which would never be done in the
light; many boards would take a diff
ferent course of action if liable to
be publicly and officially called upon
to give an account of their proceed
ings Mere publicity has been fire.
quently demonstrated to be an effective
cure for many evils; an enlightened
public opinion is often sufficient to
rectify them.
But 1 believe that this change would
! be no less in the interest of the depart
ments themselves than in that of the
; people. No doubt most Of the heads
of the various branches in our state
service are desirious of performing
; their duties as faithfully and efficiently
as possible. At present they are al
most as powerless to reach the pub
lie if they are unjustly attacked. as the
public is to reach them if abuses occur.
The right to be heard upon the floor of
the legislature. when questions affect
ing their work are under debate is one
ta sNfc 11aa fCt
departments themselves, would tend to
promote both intelligent legislative ac-
ton and the formation of sound
public opinion upon administrative
questions. A fair debate in which
both sides are well argued, is the best
method yet discovered for calculating
the truth as to any matters of politics
or government. l believe that nothing
but political inertia, born of too long
a continuance Of one party in power,
backed by too large a majority. pre-
vents our state from leading the way
in the adoption of this most desirable
political reform.
Il have not yet during the campaign
discussed national matters, believing
that questions of state legislation and
administration should be made para
mount in this state election, as de-
clared in our platform. But it may not
be out Of place to refer thus late in the
campaign to one or two federal ques-
lions There is one matter connected
with the ariff l which to call atten-
ton to, because it is now being brought
prominently before the public. In the
/ whole history of tariff legiclatiOn 1t
would be difficult to find more outra-
geous sacrifice of the interests of the
! many to those of the few, or more
unjustiflable imposition upon a great
industry than the provision Of the