The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-02-02

IC6CuNdllNE6s Dul Nu0 uIdH6 u
salary of $500 a year and has the
appointment of nearly 80 mel. The
dooTkeeper-not in the House OF the
Lord, but rather in the tents of the
Phllistines-gets only $500, but he
has almost two hundred places at his
disposal. The postmaster of the house
gets like salary, but has less patron
age, and the sergeant-at-arms gets ST.
500 with perhaps thirty places to dis
tribute, most of them to boys who act
as pages. 1t has been nearly six
teen years since a Democrat has
18th of this month. It has been near
ly sixteen years since Democrat has
been permitted to sit somnolently in a
chair at a door In the house gallery.
or any son of Democrat Of the ten
der age of twelve or fourteen has been
able to run errands within the house
as a page. Now that the Democracy
has come back into its own there is
likely to be very clean sweep Of all
employees from page to postmaster.
The men likely to be chosen for the
principal places are:
For Clerk-Ex-Re South
Trimble of Kentucky.
For ergeant-at-Arms-St Jack
son, Of Indiana.
For Chief Doorkeeper-J. ]. Sen
mott.
For Postmaster-Some New Eng
land man yet unnamed.
Radical Program Of Foss.
Political circles are still won
dering whether the inaugural ad-
dress of Governor Foss of Massa-
chusetts was a bid for the support Of
the radical element in the Democratic
party for a presidential nomination.
No more progressive, radical or popu-
listiC program-choose your own ad-
jective-has ever been put before the
American people than this one, ema-
mating from governor of Massachu-
setts, resident of staid old Boston, a
man of substance and Democrat who
graduated from the Republican party
Think Of this, you of the middle and
far west who have so long considered
New England the home Of narrow
minded conservatism. The governor
of Massachusetts favors these reforms
and in this language:
Direct Primaries for All.
"All candidates for public of1ce
without exception must be chosen by
the people only through the direct pri-
mary. Only by this means can they
be held accountable. No public serv-
ant must have any other master than
the people"
On the day that this message was
read in Massachusetts the always ven
cradle United States senate was listen
ing to a committee report that the
mere fact that a number of votes had
been bought for BILLY" Lorimer for
United States senator was immaterial
rs affecting his title to his seat. The
Otes shown to have been bought
ere a surplus over the number need
ed to elect. Nobody yet has pried into
the other Democratic votes which ac-
complished the election. Perhaps that
investigation will come in due time.
In the meantime greatly prefer the
position of Foss, or that Of Governor
Judson Harmon, who first laid down
the principle, Guilt is always per
sonal," to that of Lorimer.
1t has been my fortune to be in
Washington during congressional ses-
sions for many years. In that time
have seen several men come to the
United States senate under a cloud
The mere question of the propriety-
not necessarily the legality-of their
! elections served to kill their influence
in that body. 1t was so with Calvin S.
Brice, it was so with Clark Of Mon.
tana, and it is SO with Lorimer OF
| Illinois.
Advocates the Recall.
But diverge from my text. This
governor of conservative Massachu.
sets goes on to say:
II urge upon you a resolve for
constitutional amendment for the
initiative and referendum. {.
To the direct primary must be
linked the power Of recall so that
any public servant who proves rec
reant to his trust may be immedi-
ately dismissed
1t sounds as if Oregon, in which all
these legislative provisions are in eff
feet had reached hands across the con
tinent to greet conservative Boston
and to say, "At last the east begins
to learn from the west"
Reform for Elections.
Governor Foss thinks that carriages
to take voters to the polls should be
prohibited, except in the case of the
aged and infirm, and in such cases the
carriages should be furnished by the
state. He holds, too, that the state
should provide halls for politica
meetings, and pay the cost of gen
eral circular in which all candidates
could plead their cause. 1t is no
much of a step from this to the sug
gestion seriously urged a few years
ago that the political expenses Of al
parties in a national campaign shoulC
be paid from the federal treasury, tht
appropriations to each being in exac
proportion to the number Of votes cas-
in the campaign preceding. That woul'
have bothered the Democrats sadly il
1908 and delighted them in 1910. s.
perhaps with all Difference to Cover
nor Foss it may be wise to let wei
enough alone.
Even If the Hon. "Billy" Lorime
does not succeed in holding the sena
torial seat won under conditions a
least dubious, he may confer a notabl
benefit on his country by setting
precedent-and precedents seem to b