Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1902-08-08
The Folly of Partisanship.

tisan politics into municipal affairs.
The mass meeting of Wednesday night,
held for the purpose of stamping pub
lie disapproval upon the programme
for new franchise to the city
water company, would have been IN
necessary had the present city officials
been elected upon purely local issues.
republicans or democrats are less in
clined to hold themselves answerable
to their constituents for action on
questions which do not touch politics
than they would be if elected because
they stood for something locally. In
der the existing system, Phoenix cleo
tons for city officers turn on the alb
surd questions whether the nominees
are for or against free silver, for or
against the retention of the Philippines,
for or against a protective tariff. That
is. men who wear the republican or
democratic label, as the case may be.
seek the nominations, and are placed
il the field by partisan conventions.
and they are elected or defeated ac-
cording to party affiliations of the vot-
ers in mass-the results at the polls
modified more or less by the personal
standing of the respective candidates
in pursuing this absurd system Phoe-
nix is not alone, OF course. \ ma or-
it, of the towns and cities in the United
States are in the same rut 1t may be
known during a campaign by a candi-
dates political followers that he is not
the most available man for the post
that he is unfit in some respect, that
he is likely to be controlled by this or
that set of men inimical to the public
interest, but appeals to party loyalty
and assertions that the opposing can
didate is no better-which is often the
truth-quiet any tendency to Elutiny.
and the voters cast their ballots as Il
matter of form.
The complaint so frequently heard
that the people are neglectful OF their
own interests, that they are lacking in
civic pride, that they do not get out
and vote. and that they permit selfish
and ignorant men to manage vast pub
lie interests when the same men would
not be entrusted with the simplest du-
ties in ordinary affairs, is a complaint
to which the average citizen can reply
that he is practically helpless in the
premises. Partisan manipula ton ac-
e..
boosters see to it that the right kind
of man gets the nomination, and the
citizen has to do the rest. If repub-
lican, he steps up and votes his party
ticket, consoling himself with the
thought that a republican must be su-
perior to a democrat, and the demo-
cratic voter casts his vote for the dem
ccrat, under like impulses
1t is argued in favor of partisanship
in city affairs, that if unfit men are
nominated for office ii is because the
masses do not choose to exercise their
power-that they remain away from
the primaries. Negligence of the pri-
maries is a besettinE sin of the average
business man, to be sure, but he re-
mains away largely because he feels
that if he does attend it will be for
naught-that the ''fixers'' of his party
will put through a slate, in the making
CT which he can have little choice.
The city campaign of last spring.
still fresh in the minds of the public,
was a shining illustration of the idiocy
Of drawing party lines in an election
in which politics could not have any
proper place. The Republican pointed
cut from day to day how the city was
running behind at the rate of $4,000 4
year. and how foolish it was to con-
tinue men in control who were clearly
incompetent. TO say the least, and nine
men cut of ten in private voiced the
same views; but the party whip was
more potent than the calls OF civic
duty.
In the larger cities the remedy
against partisan misrule is not so easily
found but in d town no larger than
Phoenix the voters can control affairs
in the public interest if they will but
assert their independence Merchant
Smith, republican, and Merchant Jones,
democrat, have no trouble in cooper
atins most cordially where there is no
politics involved. There is no reason
why men of this class should not get
together before each election and after
careful consideration nominate bust
ness mems or taxpayers ticket. Men
nominated on such a ticket would be
selected for their known ability, hon
esty, and public spirit, and they would
be elected by majority which would
prove that the average citizen has al
abundance of civic pride and public
spirit when there is chance for him t.
exercise them.
The Secret OK Long Life.