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

can say more, consistently and aNsro-
priately, than those who are within the
clearing.
The republic, from the beginning, has
been a government by political parties.
Brice says, ''The spirit and force of
party in America has been as essential
to the action of the machinery of govern
ment as steam is to the locomotive" In
this respect it is not the fulfillment of
the hopes and plans of the fathers. Tire
dread of parties was the inspiration of
Washingten's farewell address. In this
respect it expressed the general feeling
of his contemporaries who framed the
constitution. Their efforts had been
directed to the suppression of party
spirit, and yet political parties have
been and still are the moving forces in
the government founded by them. To
this day parties are not recognized in
federal or state constitutions. They
are recognized only by the citizen, the
individual voter, the individual candi-
| date
1t is not my purpose to emphasize the
distinction between the organization Of
a party and the principles for which it
contends. Party organization is neces-
sary. It should receive fitting recogni-
ton and support; it requires time and
money and effort to properly maintain
it; but it should not be forgotten that
it's primary purpose is to incorporate
the principles of the party into the laws
Of the land and enforce them.
The first substantial result of party
organization and utilization of the first
thirty-fve years of the republic was the
origin and establishment of the party
primary as providing representation of
and for the people.
AS parties increased in power and
organization they finally siezed upon
the machinery of the government, Sc
cured its offices, and shaped its laws to
perpetuate their power and maintain
their principles.
This resulted in direct legislation of a
negative character effecting party
organization to hold the respective
parties in the laws of the land, enact
ments regulating and directing their
work and methods and guarding the
rights and duties of their members,
eliminating in the browning glory of
political legislative reform-the Aus
tralian or legalized ballot.
Thus parties came to be part of
the legal machinery of government. )"
This course has been in direct and
continuous line of political progress.
Thereby have the benefits of self
government been secured. The ten
dency has been Ito hberate the true
function and spirit of party from the
subsection of party organizations, to
exalt the principles of party, control
the organization, and give freer ex-
preston of principle and will in the
mass of party membership. Thus have
been secured the free exercise of the
ballot. purity of elections, the correct
certificate of returns.
But legislation has not yet gone fal
enough in that direction to fully secure
the rights and protect the citizen in the
exercise of his sovereign power. The
work of reformation in that direction
has been moving up stream, but stopped
short Of the source The work must be
completed before the full benefits Of
party government will be secured. The
stream of American politics can not
remain pure while the source is polluted
The state must now go further in the
direction of the enlargement of indi
vidual rights and duties by increasing
the power and influence of the voter in
making nominations and selecting
representatives of his will.
Emancipation of party members from
the control Of machine organization il
selecting the representatives Of theil
principles is the last and final step after
ballot reform. The reform of thu
primary is the great question that con
fronts the people today. The primar!
is the source of self-government. 1
has been described as the great DANCE,
point in our politics. Caucus disordel
and fraud have characterized American
politics from the beginning of the re
public, and with all the marvellous pro
gress of our people, notwithstanding al
that has been accomplished in the las
twenty years for the reformation o
American politics, the fact remain
that, in the actual working and practica
results of the primary as conducted b.
the machine organizations of both grea
parties there are more dangerou
methods and practices than ever oefor
in our national experience. Tn
general debauchery that formerl,
characterized election day has largel.