The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-12-01

said Samuel II. Bowen to q Mail re-
porter. Mr.. Bowen continued: 1T
possesses the worst features and ID
devoid Of the best features of that
method of governments. Under the
commission form we have q consoii-
Edated and centralized government
administered 10y agents Invested with
checks, balances and limitations.
The government is reposed into the
! hands OF few which results In econ
omy efficiency and celebrity. Yet these
few men charged with administering
tho city government are directly re-
spon&ihle to the people by virtue Of
the initiative. the referendum and
the recall. Give lis the real COM
mission form Of government in
charleston. and public officials will
be extremely polite and obliging to
the people. Under such a system
the people are the real masters, and
ofhce-holders are the servants. Under
the present form of OUR city -gnvarn-
ment, the people are at the mercy
or Doth the old political machines.
me people may he partisan hut the
Republican and Democratic Abosses
are, both Bipartisan. The corrupt
political machines of both parties
nominate, and the people elect ma
chlne-made candidates. Nothing.
can be said to be complex about this.
II the machien puts n candidate over
the plate. the people in the language
or israel Durham, the PHILADELPHIA
boss, can be damned for they have
no other alternative than to vote in
one or the other great parties for q
stencil made man. Progressive cit
liens should enthusiastically support
the commission form of government
and thereby reduce the cost of main
tanning such cumbersome mode of
municipal government. At a single
stroke l would eliminate the council
or at any rate lessen their number
and repose all authority and vest all
government In the hands of three
or four men requiring those three or
four to give their entire time to the
clty's affairs. The fellow who can
not devote all his time to the city's
business should not accept an office
at the hands of the people. The
public is not only entitled but should
require q public officials entire ser
vice. Government is only q business
proposition and the paramount OBJ
1ects to be attained are economy and
efhclency. We need to make our Of
fic1als directly responsive to the pop
ular will as 1t is reflected by public
sentiment. l herewith quote the
great western senator, LaFollette,
who speaking of the greatest menace
to Republican institutions, said:
The greatest danger menacing Re-
publican institutions today is the
overbalancing control of-city, state
and national legislation by the
wrongful use of the wealth and pow
er Of public service, industrial and
financial corporations.
THE I N F l. y ENC e WHICH
RULES, MAY BE TRACED TO THE
CLOSE ASSOCIATION OF POL1T-
ICAL AND CORPORATE POWER.
1T is A COMPLETE SYSTEM. IT
DEFRAUDS THE PEOPLE, DE-
FEATS LEG TSLATION IN THE
PUBLIC INTERESTS AND PASSES
LAWS FOR THE SPECIAL INTER-
ESTS. -~--------------
1T rules caucuses, names dele
gates, appoints committees, domi-
mates in the councils Of political
parties, dictates nominations, makes
platforms, dispenses patronage, di-
ton, controls legislation, stiles op-
position, Furnishes independents and
elects United States senator's.
THE ONLY POWER THAT CAN
SAVE THE GOVERNMENT FROM
THESE CORRUPT1NG INTERESTS
is DIRECT. NOMINATIONS, THE
INITIATIVE AND THE REFEREN-
BHtf- AND FIFE RECALL, ---------
oil
citizens desire to WREST LEGISLA-
|TlON FROM CORPORATE CON
troll and restore it to the people. :
"The REMEDY IS TO BEGIN AT
THE BOTTOM. We must begin with
the nomination Of candidates for
public office. If bad men control tho
nominations they control govern
ment. The control Of the nominal
lions to be placed DIRECTLY IN
THE HANDS OF TILE PEOPLE. No
power or agency must be permitted
to come between the candidate and
the voter. Government begins with
MAKING THE BALLOT. 1t does
not begin with voting the ballot.
UNDER OUR SYSTEM OF GOV
ERNM'bNT BY POLITICAL PAR
TIES TWO ELEMENTS EQUAL IN
lh fOt i ANVIL, Attb INVOLVED IN
THE EXERCISE OF SUFFRAGE
ONE THE MAKING OF THE BAL
LOT, THE OTHER THE CASTING
OF THE BALLOT.
"Fo those familiar with our pri-
mary or convention system, it Is
known that about one per cent. OF
the voting population fixes up the
slate naming the nominees in both
parties. We can never have any
thing but boss rule and ring politics
II both parties so long as this condl~
ton continues to exist. | confident
~ believe the Republican party met
defeat largely on account Of failure
to pass a primary law and the Dem
ocrats now having q majority in the
Legislature will be called to strict &C
count upon this very subject. The
Opoulp AFRO INA n m 0ua1U in fovor 30