The progressive farmer., 1902-07-08


of information concerning the candi-
dates who were nominated by the diff
| ferent parties In the various wards.
This involved great task because of
the number of candidates concerned
and the carefulness with which infor-
nation must be sought before the Off
GERS of the League formulated their
conclusions. As soon as the campaign
is on, it begins its work, which con-
sists quite largely in commending and
indorsing worthy candidates and in
exposing and rejecting those who have
been found weak and wanting. This
part of it's work has greatly improved
during the last two or three years by
reason OF, the fact that an extensive
canvass of all prospective candidates
has been carefully made, and their
public and private records are secure
ly fled away. This canvass has been
carefully and systematically done, and
is fundamental to the success and pur
poses of the League. Every bit of in
formation is followed to its source,
and the utmost care exercised by the
committee in order that its conclu-
sions may be safe and secure. Persons
are secretly employed to secure these
facts, and are often independently set
at work upon the record of a given
man. This poll of the prospective
candidates in each ward is entirely
unique, I believe, in the field of re-
form, and its effectiveness is abund-
antly shown in the results which have
followed. Thus, in the heat of the
campaign the labor of collecting this
information does not fall upon the
committees, and their efforts may be
directed to other matters.
"After all the facts concerning the
public and private record of the candi-
date are fully worked out, if found
questionable he is called into the Of
fee of the committee and given a
chance to be heard in his own defense,
or withdraw from the race, before the
committee makes public its statement.
If he still decides to continue, he does
so with the knowledge that the essen
tial facts of his public and private life
will be given to the voter under the
official seal of the League. The lead
ing papers of the city render generous
aid by giving these reports a promi-
nent place in their columns, as well as
by editorial support. These comments
are made up of brief statements of
those public and private acts of each
candidate which are considered essen
tial in determining his efficiency as an
Alderman. No partisanship is shown
in the preference, but often both can
didates are rejected as equally bad and
dangerous. And, on the other hand,
both are often indorsed as equally
worthy of support. With these facts
fully before the public, the voter is
urged to make his choice in the inter
ests of honest and efficient govern
ment.
In fact, the work of the Voters
League in improving the personnel of
the Common Council has led to its
extension into the broader field of
State politics, and an organization is
now being perfected for the purpose
of employing the same method to Sc
cure the return to the State Legisla-
ture of a more~responsible delegation
from the city of Chicago. The work
already done by the League in Chi
cago shows that the low average of the
City Councils is not due altogether to
the ignorance and bad intentions of
the voter, but more to the lack of lead
ership and direction at the caucuses
and the polls"
=, We need so many new laws; we need
a reformatory for youthful criminals
we need a commission which should
consist of three men in each county
who should be the best men every way,
and two of them reasonably large tax
payers to value the personal property,
and when they think a man is not list
ing about equally as to quantity with
the other people, to call on him and
+see the property and value it, and thus
equalize personal values. There are
many other changes, but this article
is long enough.
D.L. GORE.