The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-05-12

SON. HOSEHI =. BASS.
Der OF the state forestry commission.
He had never been in politics. He
doesn't know even now why he was
chosen. But he went on the job. He
discovered the need for laws to pro
tect the forests OF New Hampshire
the fourth largest paper making state
He had the laws introduced. The
legislature killed them He didn't
know that the big interests were all
working together through Mellen's
railroad lobby
But he went home to Peterboro and
told the folks that he wanted to go
to the state legislature to pass some
forestry laws. The folks sent him
And then ! saw the wheels OF the
railroads machine go round" he
says.
About this time Winston Churchill,
the novelist. ran for governor.
Churchill stumped the state against
the railroad. He lost, but he con-
verted group OF young men, among
them Bass.
Bass went back home and said he
wanted to go TO the state senate.
II think ! can get my forestry laws
passed II I'm in the state senate he
said.
Bass always did depend on the
folks-the people. All you have TO
do Is to tell them the truth" he says
They'll do the right thing after
that"
They sent him to the senate.
In the senate, Bass began TO work
up from the bottom. He introduced
direct primaries law. Then he went
/. out onto the stump in favor OF his
bill-
He got the people so worked up on
the matter that floods OF letters pour
ed in on the state senators-therc
are only 24-~telling them TO pass the
direct primaries bill or they would
be stoned on the streets OF their
home towns.
The bill was passed.
Then. in the autumn OF 1910, Bass
told the people that II they elected
him governor he would do his best to
pass these 10 laws:
Prohibiting trust campaign con-
tributions.
Preventing bribery and providing
for purity of elections.
Providing for publicity OF campaign
expenditures and receipts.
Creating public service commits
sion.
Creating a permanent tax commits
sion.
Providing for workmens compen-
sation.
Assembling a conference to amend
the state constitution.
Increasing auto taxes and applying
them to improvements OF the roads.
Endorsing the federal income tax.
Providing for direct election of
United States senators.
The people elected Bass and pro-
gressive house.
whenever the senate, with its "a
members. began 10 fight bills Bass
had promised the people, he would
call certain of them into his Office
and say:
Now, II you don't pass this bill
mi take the matter out before the
neople and I'll make you go out, too,
and tell them why you're against this
: BILL
This argument went.
Only two bills failed-the federal
income tax, killed by one vote in the
senate. and direct election of sena.
tors.
Were all young fellows. with no
axes to grind" says Bass. Stand.
patters don't realize that the people,
as a mass, have learned to read and
that many OF the newspapers are tell.
ing them the truth about things.
THE average man of today knows
as much about the problems of gov
eminent as the average statesman
did so years ago.
And the average man Is going 10
nav even more attention to affairs in
the future. The whole thing is a mat
ter of education. In fact, it's simply
a matter OF knowing how TO read"