The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-08-01


in their suppression, and would land
those who employed them, and in public
Office, not to place and position in party
councils, but in the penitentiary.
In respect to primary methods make
no distinction between existing parties
or between factions of our own. l be-
lieve that such methods and practices
come more naturally to the democratic
than the republican party, with this
distinction, that the former seems to
thrive upon them; but the supremacy
of the latter can never long survive
them. AS to factions, / make no dis
tinctions, either pro or anti. have
friends in both places" The most
severe criticism could make of either
in this respect would be that it is just
as bad as the other.
A few statesmen recently met in
Grand Rapids and resolved that the
republican factions should be harmon
lied. I do not support that resolution.
They should not be harmonized. They
should be absorbed.
The American people have long since
lost interest in the charge of the pot
against the color of the kettle.
| The law must yet afford adequate
protection and regulation for the
primary as well as elections, so that the
people will more directly control the
nominations. This is practical ques-
| ton.
The reform Of the primary has pro-
crossed far enough in different states to
enable legislature elected by the
people on that Issue. responsible for it,
capable and acting in good faith, to
frame successful primary law supple
mented by corruption-practice acts,
which would throw adequate safeguards
around the will and power of the in
dividual voter in selecting delegates
and making nominations for public
Office.
By such laws the 'illegitimate use of
money would be minimized and that
dangerous element removed from our
politics.
The horde of heelers, boodlers and
bosses would go out of business and be
forever blacklisted. They might be
transformed into honest toilers in the
political vineyard. Such laws would
substitute leaders for bosses.
They would punish the men who
poison the springs.
They would make candidates and
managers rely upon merit, popularity,
and the fidelity of party and personal
friends rather than upon check books.
They would induce capable and self.
respecting men to enter the political
lists in honorable contest
Through them might return again
the conditions that existed in the old
days when John Hancock and grand
old Sam Adams, "the man of the town
meeting" the real father of his country
when the rich man and the poor sal
together in the Massachusetts assembly
and directed the sentiment which re-
suited in American independence; wher
John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson
and Patrick Henry were proud to sit il
the Virginia legislature and make thai
grand old commonwealth the mother Of
presidents.
The public service of the state o.
Michigan has become Kissing bywort
and reproach. deny that the member
ship of either party at large are re
sponsible for it. The origin of thu
whole miserable business is in a sub
sidized and debauched caucus system
The people control the election, but no
the selection, of public officials.
How much did the members of partie
at large have to do with the presen
legislature as whole?
| What forces did select them? Fo
what purpose? The free and indepen
: dent service of the stateY
} The public service is corrupt becaus
the selection of delegates and the nomin
| dtiOH VI are
, the fundamentally of corrupted
caucus system.
/. The virus of this system poisons AM
contaminates the whole public servic
of the state. You have heard the stor'
of the delegate to convention who ha'
forgotten the name of the candidate 70
whom he was to vote, and was told T.
look at his check.
) Good government can be obtaine
only through the reformation of on
: primary system. Such reform woul
so elevate the public service that ques
tions like equal taxation, the abuse O
3 corporate power, and others would tax
D care of themselves so easily that W
7 would wonder that we ever becam
: hysterical over them,
| We must commence the reform at tn
beginning. Protected by law in tn
primary, citizenship will be supreme.
? Then, in the free and Independent
exercise of his sovereign power, it ma
: be said that Ito be an American citize
, ic oraata tbap m no q L;p1