Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1911-07-27

can therefore give you
only my individual opinion, which,
however, I believe fairly represents
the general Socialist attitude.
The Short Ballot movement is sub
stantially based upon the time honored
good Imam idea in politics Mr.. Rich
ard S. Childs. the Secretary Treasurer
Of your organization. and probably the
most conspicuous exponent Of the
Short Ballot sums up the theory n
the following language
..Good government is entirely mat
ter Of getting the right men in the
first place. Nothing else is so vital.
No system, however ingenious, win
make bad men give good government
or keep good men from getting super
ior results.
The advocates of the Short Ballot
assert that one of the greatest OBJ
stacles to securing good men for pub
lie office, is the long ballot" !. e, the
large number Of public officials elected
by popular vote. The voter, they
argue, has no personal knowledge Of
the merits of the OPPOSING candidates,
and the newspapers cannot afford to-
discuss the qualifications Of the host
Of minor candidates who present them
selves to the electorate Of all large
communities at general elections.
Hence the average citizen votes blind
w. Nominations and elections are
Unanswered by professional politi-
clans, who thus control the government
and run it for their personal profit.
The remedy proposed is to shorten
the ballot" j. e., to take the election
Of the majority of public officers from
the people, abolishing them altogether
wherever feasible, or making them
appointive instead of elective. It IS
also proposal to enlarge the functions
and to extend the terms of the cleo
tive officials. The ideal ballot sug-
gested by Mr.. Chlids would limit pit pu
lar elections to the Offices of Pres1-
dent and Vice President, Congress
men. Governors, State Senators and
Assemblymen, County Supervisors,
City Mayors and Councilmen, and ex-
tend the term of all state and munici-
pal officers to either four or two years.
1t is argued that in this manner the
citizen would never have more than
three candidates to vote for in any
election; that such. candidates would
necessarily be subjected to closer
scrutiny by the people, and the poll
teal parties would be forced to put
forth their best men.
This, believe, is fair summary
Of the reasoning underlying the Short
Ballot movement. Like many other
modern movements for electoral re-
form such as the Commission Form"
of government, the Direct Primary
and the Massachusetts Ballot, it
seems plausible and sounds radical to
the superficial reasoner, but on closer
analysis it proves ineffective and re-
dictionary.
There is no good ground to assume
that short ballot" : ould produce a
better grade of public officials. It can
certainly not be said today that our
appointed public functionaries are of
a higher caliber than the elected Off
cials. The contrary is probably more
universally the case. For no matter
how Indifferent the average voter IS,
no political party would dare to
present to the electorate men OF such
objectionable characters and OF such
unsavory regulations as are now fre-
quently rewarded by lucrative politi-
cal appointments. It may be said
that upon the adoption of the Short
such high standing and so untrammel-
such high standing and sountrammel-
ed by political obligations that their
appointments will be superior to
those Of the past. But why? The
leading political candidates, the Pres
idents, Governors and Mayors today
receive as. much attention from the
press and are subjected to as much
public scrutiny as they would be I'M
der Short Ballot system, and they
fill the principal appointive offices. It
seems to me that if the powers of our
Governors and Mayors are to be SO
Increased as to give them the appoint
ment Of practically all civil officers
within the state and municipal govern
ment, there will be added Z incentive
for the dominant political machines to
control these powerful sources Of all
possible graft and patronage. and to
see to it that none but their most re-
liable tools be elected to these high
offices.