The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-20
FOR
CAMPAIGN EXPENSES
Missouri Editor Declares in Favor Of
This Method to Prevent corpo-
rations from Doing II.


4Muddlng the Isues in City Elections
is tile subject Of practical article writ
ten by H. J. Haskell, one Of the editors
of the Kansas City Star and an active
member Of the National Municipal
League The article which was publish.
ed in The Outlook recently, contains
several apt suggestions, and, among 9th.
er things, Mr. Haskell wrote;
THE problem includes more than the
muddling Of the issues Of the municipal
election II includes the question Of
control BIZ the inner circle constituting
the party organization, which is able to
dictate nominations. the domination Of
this circle by outside interests and the
decentralization Of the administration
through the. looting Of the civil service
TO reward the party workers.
obviously, certain changes In the
structure Of the city government itself,
BY centralizing authority and response
bility. would help toward the selection
Of better officers as we'll as toward
gain in efficiency as the experience Of
cities under the Galveston plan has
proved Besides, there are certain miti-
eating alterations in the political struc
ture that are already being adopted, such
as the separation Of municipal from
other elections, the reduction Of the
number Of electriy officers and the use
Of the Massachusetts, ballot on which
the names of candidates are printed in
alphabetical order"
Referring to the adoption Of the uni
form primary election system, Mr.. Has
kell continued
1T Il set to be proved however, that
the machine, especially IN cities, may not
be able I'd control the chief offices under
primary: The difficulty is that none
Of these remedial measures takes into
account the fundamental fact that the
party organization continues, In spite Of
assaults made upon 1t, because under
present conditions il performs services
that are indispensable. 1t helps crystal
ize the campaign issues. Ii takes charge
of the active educational work of the
canvass. and, finally and chiefly, il gets
out the vote. For the first two services
ii might be possible to depend on news
papers and such organizations as city
clubs, civic leagues and the like. For the
third service, which is practically the
most important Of all, the party ma.
chinery at present seems essential. Ex
pprience repeatedly has demonstrated I
that the side with the best organization
Tor getting ont the vote generally wins, !
The only exception il at times Of crisis !
when the community II aroused"
Az TO a remedial measure, Mr.. Haskell |
said,
1T viii be observed that the chief
reason for the existence Of the party ma
chine Is the failure Of the government to
pay the legitimate expenses of the cleo /
ton. TIL work Of educating the people |
in the campaign and of prodding the re-
luctant voter to the polls ought to be
paid for by organized society. So long
rs it IS not the party organization that
finances the whole electoral canvass is
going to dominate both in primary and
regular elections, and that organization
IN turn is going to he powerfully iniu-
aneed BY the large eontributors-chie
the special interests"