Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-08
Political Science As
ISOLATION Publishes
an Analysis of the

~ ALTtMORE, May t. We &c
~ not now have democratic gov
eminent In the United States
because the citizens are
swamped with more political duties
than they can or will perform. and
we shall never attain democratic gov
eminent til, we get the short ballot"
This was the theme Of a brilliant dis
cussion at the last meeting of the
American Political Science association
in New York, participated in by col
lege professors and leading writers or
political reform, with A. Lawrence
Lowell, president of Harvard, In the
chair. The nucleus of the discussion
was furnished by paper entitled
Need of Simplification In the Methods
of Popular Control OF Government.
This paper was approved by MI pres
ent and has now for the first time be-
come accessible TO the public through
its publication In the annual volume
of the proceedings of the association.
The following are significant extracts:
The theory of an election is some
what as follows: II is known that on
a certain day the people are to select
an officer to perform on their behalf
certain duties and to hold certain pow
ers. The office is made desirable by
reason OF the salary and honor and
power attached to It. Various aspir-
ants for the place come before the pub
lie by one method or another. make
known their qualifications for the Of
fee, explain the policies which they
desire to put into effect through the
power attached TO that office. and the
voters go to the polls on election day
and indicate on the ballot which or the
aspirants they prefer.
This process constitutes an election
rs fondiy imagined by those who
first framed our various constitutions
and charters. This idea of an election
is perfectly sound and perfectly prac-
teal. 1t has, however, certain distinct
limitations based on familiar facts or
human nature. and In the United States
these limitations have been stupidity
overstepped.
The Limitations of Control by Election
The theory of an election as out
lined presupposes that the voter Is
to have an opportunity to get some
kind Of acquaintance with the claims
of the various aspirants for the office
II he fails to do this 1t is Inevitable
that his vote will be unintelligent and
easily controlled by those who have u
special and private interest In the cleo
.tion.
II the voter in a large community Is
to know the candidates ii Is necessary
that the latter secure proper amount
OF publicity so that each candidate
shall become In the mind of the voter
a definite mental picture-a picture 80
definite that the voter VIII develop
preference based on adequate informa-
ton. II must be evident that there is
a limit 10 the number OF elections
which can be held simultaneously
without blurring these mental pictures
Any man must admit that il would
not be practicable to hold 100 real cleo
lions Gu one day. No voter could re-
luSlnDtk cCfGAGl
even IL he tried to do so in systematic
fashion, aud a system which put the
names Of several hundred candidates
for hundred offices upon the ballot
without the aid OF some guide or
trademark label would result In con-
fusion. out Of which would emerge rs
victors nor the candidates who were
most successful In getting votes. but
those who were least unsuccessful Ii
would be like letting school children
vote, and tic result would have no sig
ri6cance as an expression Of opinion.
The same condition viii be true OF a
ballot which has much less than 100
places to b. filed II will be true. in
part eft least, at any election where a
nonpsrtisab ballot would be imprac-
ficsbie.
Take the ballot you voted at the last
election Cut Il up with q pair Of
shears and paste IL together with the
parry labels eliminated. so that fol
the office OF county CLERK. for instance
you VIII Be compelled 20 choose Be
tween Smith and Jones and Robinson
II on iockiLg over this ballot you ird
that you are lost without the perty
label to guide you. that your vote ~
certain ofsi>es was without know lecgs
OF inteIl.gesce. TO that extent you vii
know ros cave not been exercising
contrc;, bui have by kind Of proxy
giving defeated your share Of th'
control Of those Offices 20 some oD'
else
A voter who votes b.indly IS beins
bo<<ed Very few voters. even tn
rnts-zte. vote a ballot esfirely hllndly
Even the Italian street digger proba
bly, has certain reasons for supporting
A. o. Y. Zoe governor. hut every Ames