The Washington herald., 1910-05-15
BALLOT"

I bewLderment, no confusion 10 shelter
the tricks OF politicians OF railroads
The short ballot is a ballot that the
people can handle. II is the only kind
they can handle, II IS the only kind
they should have. To give them any,
thing else IS 70 bunco them.
With q short ballot we can get bet
ter government. Government entirely
in the limelght IS bound 20 be better
than government half in the dark. Look
at the success OF commission govern
ment in Galveston and Des Moines. The
short ballot IS the gist Of IL Look AZ
the English and Scotch cities-the best
governed in the world. The short bal
lot is the secret Of their success.
Think over the list Of offices YOU have
20 vote for. How many OF them re-
ceive adequate public examinations
Those that DO not should either be
made appointive or should be made
more conspicuous and important by
added powers and enlarged responsible
tiles until they Go attract adequate ex-
animation Your members OF the state
legislature, for example. They can't be
made appointive, but can be made more
important The legislature should be
made smaller and the districts enlarged
until a legislator ranks as high as the
governor and gets the same kind OF
purifying Iimenght.
To add the United States senator to
the list Of elective offices would length
en- the ballot, but It is not contrary. 70
the short ballot doctrine. because that
is so important and conspicuous an
Office that II wiz always get the public
examination that IS so vital TO popular
control
County clerks or state treasurers,
however. should never be elective. even
If the ballot be short. because they are
naturally obscure offices and the peo-
pie are sure 10 get fimhamued.
Real Politics Instead Of Peanut Politics
The short ballot movement is no ap-
peal 10 civic laziness or dainty aris-
tocracy. II IS not a justification Of the
man who thinks only Of his own affairs
and ignores those OF the community
We are getting rather away from such
narrow selfshness. We talk OF con-
servauOn OF national resources. regu-
lation OF the labor Of women and chill
dren, the square deal in railroad rates.
the betterment OF tenements. the pre-
vention Of Observation-Disclosures things
are our real politics. The word civ
les" which describes them. is a word
Of special American coinage taking the
pace that politics" held before il be-
came degraded in its significance. The
citizen does have duties IN such direc-
tons,
But peanut politics" that UNIQUE
American Institution, is a different
matter. It is not our duty 10 fret over
whether Jones or Smith shall be made
a delegate 20 a county convention to
nominate q candidate for coroner. OF
whether the Brown faction or the Rob
inson crowd shall control the patronage
of the county clerks Office. Taking
an interest in politics" ought to mean
something bigger than hanging around
political headquarters or learning the
names Of the county committee. The
citizen owes no duty 20 peanut politics
except 70 get II abolished TO clear the
way 10 the big common welfare kind Of
politics that lies beyond. The short
ballot would leave no reason for the
further existence Of peanut politics or
the ohgarchy that it creates.
Colleges Teach the Short Ballot PrIn-
oipIe.
The short ballot is a sound and well
axiom in political science.
Every college IS teaching it Men like
woodrow Wilson and Charles W. Eliot
are pleading for It. Theodore Roose-
yelt Governor Hughes OF New York.
Governor Fort Of New Jersey. Winston
Churchill. Ben B. Lindsey and Norman
are for It and have all tried
70 wean the people away from that stu
old old superstition that 10 have every-
BODY elective is giving the people pow
r At last we are waking UP, and the
ong ballot, the greatest himflam game
he world has ever seen, is on its way
nto limbo.
The People Are All Right-IFs the
System That's Wrong.
Let's stop the old false cry that had
government is the peoples fault. As i
ur people could be rotten in politics
nd sound as a bell in everything elsel
Nonsense!
There is nothing the matter with
americans We are by far the most in
elligent and moral electorate in the
World We are not apathetic. Apathy
purely relative matter depending
n how much IS asked. Ask much ~
ne people and you will see more apathv
han If you ask little. If the peoDIe Of
fasgow were asked 20 attend can
uses. primaries, conventions and raj
les in support Of the best candidate
Or coroner they, too. would stay home
y their fresides and let the worst man
ave It. II they had our long ballot
hey would be in a worse mess than We
re with it, and If we. on the other
and, could get their handy short ballot
re, too, would use II creditablv For
ur human nature Is no worse than
heirs. The Scotch Immigrant In our
lidst IS no more active a citizen than
he rest Of US, We arc Tot Indifferent
We do want good government And
re can win back our final freedom on
short ballot basis.