The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-03-20
SENATOR Ia toilette
SPEAKS OUT PLAINLY
Corporate Power Allied With Par
tisan Organization Dominates
American Politics.
DANGER NOW MENACING
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Is the Control of Legislation and
Courts by Trusts and Vested
Interests.

NEW YORK, March 1s.-About
twelve hundred people paid admis-
sion, and gathered at Carnegie hall to
hear Senator La Toilette discuss on
popular government. Senator La Fol-
lette said in part:
Danger Of Usurpations.
"The gravest danger menacing re-
publican institutions today is the over
balancing control of city, state and
national legislation by the wrongful
use Of the wealth and power Of public
service, industrial and financial cor
porations.
"The danger is not a new one. 1t
is not limited to any state or to any
SECTION Of our country. The national
government, every state government,
every city government has this prob
lem to solve. The influence which
rules may be traced to the close asso-
citation Of political and corporate pow
er. 1t is complete system. The
system defrauds the people, defeats
legislation in the public interest and
passes laws to promote private in
terests.
Usurpations How Maintained.
'How was the mastery acquired,
and how is it maintained? Those who
serve the system in every city and
state begin at the bottom. They un-
derstand that everything depends
upon he nomination of the candidates
for office. They control the caucuses
and conventions. If they chance to
afil in the caucuses they do not hest
tate to deal with the delegates in the
convention This is easy. The loose
ing nominations, the lack OF all fixed
responsibility to the voter opens the
way for them to negotiate with the
delegates. For. many years the evils
of the caucus and convention system
have multiplied and baffled the de-
over it. The reason for this is funda-
mental.
But corporate power allied with
political organization has become en-
throned In American politics. It rules
caucuses, names delegates, appoints
committees, dominates in the councils
of political parties, dictates nomina-
tions, makes platforms, dispenses pat
ronage, directs state and municipal
administration, controls in legislation,
STILES opposition, Furnishes independ-
ence and elects United States Sena-
tors.
Special Interests Rule.
"This is not government by the
people. 1t is government by special
interests. Is there no remedyi We
must begin at the bottom. Under our
form of government the entire struc-
ture rests upon the nomination of
candidates for office. If bad men
control the nominations, they control
government. The control Of the
nomination Of candidates must be
placed directly in the hands Of the
people. No power or agency must be
permitted to come between the can
d1date and the voter Government
begins with making the ballot It does
not begin with voting the ballot. The
nominating of candidates is the initial
point. Control lost at that point IS
never regained during the term for
which the candidates are chosen. The
nomination Of the candidates who are
to go upon the party tickets is the
naming OF men who will make and
administer the laws.
Boss Tweed said: You NAV elect
whichever candidate you please to
office If you will allow me to nominate
the candidates.
ANY political boss may we'll say:
You may vote any, ticket you please,
so long as make all the tickets
'The character of the men nomi-
mated, and the influence to which
they owe their nominations, deter
mines the character of government
The preparation of the ballot, and
placing thereon the names of the can
didates Of the respective parties is a
matter Of supreme Importance to the
protection of the basic principles OF
democracy
Problem fthe Hour.
1T cannot be seriously doubted thai
under system Of nominations by d.
rect vote Of the people, their influence
upon the official would be very much
more pronounced and direct. HI
would understand that in order tt
secure their approval he must viii
that approval upon the merit of his
record and their service. He woull
know that every vote cast, every ac
as representative in aid Of measures
Or opposed to measures affecting the
public interest, would be canvasse;
! and reviewed when he came to con-
test for denomination; hence hit
record as public official would be
made day by day with that sense OF
responsibility arising from knowl-
ledge Of direct and certain accounta-
bt1ity to the people, a republican form
of government, and the one thins
which cannot be dispensed with in any
Of the affairs Of life, where one man
performs services for another.
The greatest problem In govern
y ment today is to free legislation from
the control of corporate, power, allied
+, with political organization. The direc,
nomination of all candidates by the
people is the first and most funda-
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