New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-23

form denunciatiUn winch Ins COHFeilAA0iA -
not see At lnequivocaly to express
In the campaign left no question WIN resalN
10 my position with respect 70 dTecI IfoHilt, cb
tians and the form OF the ballot In my speeCti
accepting the Republican nomination. st ye
which Was widely circulated by the Repn fcG
State Committee. / stated this positoh 49,
II not susceptible OF being ms
and was elected ,,;o.sad
by some Upon the ground that II is lfCoI s = a
,,-i,l, ra,,reeentstiye government. Some who ad-
vance this argument must believe the In. cll' -
that I lacking sense or hnn 'o'r,l,oI, nv
valiant defence Of representative goNti -,
those who IN practice seek TO nuiy II anu y co o.
il With contempt is one Of the most aosuio u
political arguments . :.
advanced in entire good faith. but there II ~ oe
trays a serious misunderstanding OF lhe hia''
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.
Representative government is government
through representatives We sAoose oli, tIil -
do for what we cannot 90 or 90 no! Llillih -
wise to undertake, ourselves. f'or eXaiilpie' w
cannot wei make our laws directly ana So Nc W
elect Legislators to make them TOT US -,
cannot as a people at large execute the Ia"S
and so We select executive officers 10 represent Us
In their execution we cannot in an assembly,
0T the people decide judicial controversies aild
50 choose judges 10 represent US IN oeCiHi'S
cases 80
errors and our Mayors and the members OF tlle
Legislature for US We elect our Governors OuI
Mayors and oar legislators direct !heg a.
chosen By direct vote of the people These on-
GERS are none the less representative, ana we
have none the less representative government
because We choose them by direct vote II an.
one we're no1y to propose that should elect
a body Of men 10 choose. our Governor Ior us
We would laugh at him II any one saw NJ 70
argue teaI this WAS necessary to the malhteIi-
ance Of representative government We should
think the argument ridiculous. 80,
II is true that we have had experience WIN
Presidential electors for whom we vote insteau
Of voting directly for President. But this ex,
perlence has not led TO any serious proposai
that should extend the system 70 the tlec'HI
of our state officers And in fact. whatever tlie
sferrr we practically DO vote directly Tor fresi-
dent and the system of electors is of use merely
in fixing the fraction of influence when the
states respectively exercise in determining 'he
result -.
af the people how is Il subyersion OF repre-
sentative government for the enrolled voters OF
a party to choose their candaate TOT 800 IN
by direct vote? II We elect an AssenoiyInan IN
ssn Assembly district by direct vote or the voters
IN that district, why should not the members on
the party in that district decide olreCuy WIZ
should be their representative as candidate TOT
the Assembly? Is the one any the less repre-
sentative government than the other?
The candidates OF a party are the party rep
resehtatives in running for office as the elected
officer is the representative of the people IN as
charging the duties of the office. II We are 10
make nsrtv government analogous TO the gen
'eral government, then we should elect the party
representatives by the direct vote Of the mem
bers OF the party.
STRUGGLE OF HISTORY.
Now the way tc get true representative gov
eminent either in state or party is TO get men
who really represent those whom they pretend
20 represent. This has been the struggle OF MS
tory We must now win within the party Tor
the safety OF the party and for the safety or our
institutions. victories similar to those whlch
have been won for the benefit and protection
of the electorate at large. The king and arts
tocracy- had as secure a title and as many argu-
ments IN their favor as our modern bosses ana
political ciQues The transfer OF power from
self-constituted authority. whether based on
claim Of divine right or achieved through astute
manipulation TO the people cannot De complete
ses long as party machinery is so devised that II
makes easy the domination OF the few.
Il is not enough 10 say that those who may
control party government frequently yield TO or
seek 10 ascertain the demands of the people
The be said Of some Of the worst des-
potisIns that ever existed
We have found that 10 maintain representa-
tive government and TO have principal executive
officers who represent the people or legislators
Hho represent their districts. we must nave
voters choose them directly. The problem with
representative party government is TO nave a
system by which the voters OF the party shaIl
have their say Experience shows that under
,She present system the voters OF the party, eI-
cept there is some mighty upheaval. have very
little TO say. and when one or more get into
control OF the machinery they control the nomi-
nations and virtually appoint those VINO VIII
stand the party representatives. This is not
representative government.
Direct nominations are net snbversive Of rep
resentative government, but. il seems to me,
are essential 20 its maintenance
Granted the principle have simply the
application. Just as have in the case OF our
general elections. Each state must work out
tory and distinctive character Of its electoral
methods
eTal election Law which can readily be applied
TO our primary elections Our experience In our
general elections shows where We need reform
IN oar election laws and where should have
safeguards at the primaries
RESTRICTION OF EXPENSES
We are accustomed to the enrolment OF party
voters: il is a system that easily be ex-
tended and made complete. We are accustomed
r q nf
that candidates for nomination shall eXpend
money only for specified purposes. and shall he
restricted in the amount Of their expenditures,
Z which also should be made public.
Some would have it appear that the matter is
one Of great difficulty and intricacy II fact,
simply have to adapt our primary methods
provements as our own experience shows to be
advisable. IN reality delegate system is
far more complicated. and If it does not appear
10 be such il is because IT has become so largely
q matter OF form.
shall not speak further Of the matter in de-
tai al this time. We cannot change human
nature cure all political evils. but can give
n much larger play within the party TO the
forces that make for political purity by adher-
ing To principle the validity Of which in our
general government is undisputed. Efforts 10
hefog the matter by the claim that II is one OF
extreme difficulty viii not succeed for the prfn-
ciple is obvious and there no essential diff
cllties in its application. II ready TO
trust the members OF the party and 20 give them
the power TO which they are plainly entitled an
the choice of candidates we shall have diff
Guilty in making practicable plans for the decla-
ration Of their wishes.
Governor Hughes was introduced by Colonel
Henry w Sackett one Of the vice-chairmen,
who acted IN place Of the chairman. ex- Mayor
Charles A. Schieren. who kept ar home by
illness He told of recent conversation with
Herman Ridder treasurer Of the Democratic
National Committee.
"Tf it had not been for us" said MIR. Rider