West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-12-28
LESSONS or rHE LATE IECrIoNs

lessons. II SO. what Of the late
fall convoea,ion at the polls1
| have heard these lessons stated
as ones forcibly impressed upon the
public mind:
l. The people are out with boss
rule;
?. The independent voter is in il;
8. 1t is more the man than the
party;
!. Party prejudice is losing hold
of the masses;
S. The people think 70; them
selves.
All OF which | have heard before;
but parties survive defeat, deposed
bosses have successors, and the old
games Of the politicians may 60
merrily on in the future as they have
done repeatedly and over and over
again in the past of parties and
politics.
The body polite is great ele
phant in its forbearance. 1t en-
dures lot of goading and torment
ing, slow to wrath, but woe to the
oppressor when it does awakel Yet
the elephants nerves lose their
tingle after tho whirlwind of ITS pas.
sion subsidies, and the old plays go
on with others to do the tagging.
Likely our great white elephant will
relapse into a state of quiessence,
and be an easy mark Tor the design
ing knaves OF our political system
Evidently the masses have won a
great victory. They demand the
public management of public affairs.
They call for honest men. The in
dependent voter is straggler; he is
not of the organism of party. He
stands alone here and there. He
lacks organization. IL these unor-
ganized voters, the independent,
can be organized and modified, if
their occasionally reorg anize
power can be made permanent,
then the lessons for good govern
ment may become lasting benefits.
The question, then, is: How can
the scattering forces of reform be
merged into solid phalanxes for
honest government How can the
unorganized be given the reins SC
they can drive the organized at willf
is there any way to utilize the re.
form spirit1
Yes.
The immediate power TO frame
laws by petition and compel their
submission at the polls, is a great
corrective of the abuses OF bosses
and bribers. The power by petition
to repeal any law by direct vote,
will quickly undo the corrupt deal
OF the CRATER. Direct legislation is
the logical sequence of the late elec.
tions. Right laws must be voted in
with honest men. Give the people
the strings upon law-making, as they
have in Oregon and some other
states, then elect honest men, and
good government has its double
chance.
Reorganize by fundamental law
that special legislation is born OF
self interest. Let all who need
fostering legislation come out in
the mid day of publicity by petition
to the legislature. Let law makine
be scrutinized by press and people.
Let legislation be as immediate and
direct as is the election of the man
who enforces the law. Then the
lobby as a storm center of corrup
tion, yenaliiy and bribery, will be
comparatively harmless. Whaj
great special interest will risk buy.
ing what the public can forthwith
Destroy Instead Of government by
indirection and fraud upon the peo
pie, give the people back a part oi
what they delegated to legislators
give them the strings of straight
voting for the laws they wish-anc
then legislation will suJserye public
ends, not private greed.
To organize a party in order 4
inaugurate a reform takes years anC
years. Machinery for moral reform
is to inelastic. To organize TIT
unorganized, to recognize the far
thinking and independent Of al
parties and no parties, and Civ
them what ought to be theirs, th,
privilege Of submitting desired
measures to public arbilrament, -
this is the lesson Of the fall cleo
tions. Measures so brought befor
the people pass upon pnblic meri
rather than party prejudice; upoi
moral considerations rather thai
moneyed manipulations.
Will the people write into tn
organic law Of righteous govern
ment the lessons Of the late elcc