The Detroit times., 1911-07-08
LAUDS COMMISSION
PLAN FOR CITIES
Senator Owen Submits List Of More
Than $50 Cities and Towns Gov
erned BY System.

WASHINGTON. July s.--with q
speech delivered In the senate Friday,
Owen. tBefn.. Okla D. submitted nst
OF over $50 cities and towns In the
United States. successfully governed
by the commission plan.
owen said In the course Of an arg'i-
ment that held the close attention or
the senate:
the great problem. OF the present
time II the restoration OF equality OF
opportunity, 30 that every man, every
woman. and every child may receive
and enjoy fair return for labor hon
torabty and faithfully perfornted;I 80
that every human being can nave an
equal opportunity to enjoy the pro-
vidences OF God and the inalienable
rights OF life. liberty, and pursuit OF
happiness.
THE only way that this equality
of npnnrtnnity can be established ia
through genuine, real self-goycrnment
Of the people. by the people, Tor the
people. Under actual self-govsInment
when the majority OF the people are
In power-the majority OF the people
will always refuse to grant special
privileges to the few at the expense
or the many: refuse TO grant 10 the
Few the right to tax the many for the
benefit of the few at the cost VI the
many.
1T will not do to say that The peo-
pie have self-government when In
reality they are actually governed by
machine politics: when under the
mechanism OF party management
their governors congressman, end
presidents are nominated by the dele
OF delegated delegates In county con-
ventions. sent by ward and precinct
caucuses manipulated by local bosses
and their hepchmeh; where the ma
chine under the mechanism OF party
management can nominate all public
officials under a system which does
not give TO each citizen an equal OPP
portunity, through the mandatory d.
rect primary, safeguarded by law, %
nominate public officers; where there
Is no thoroughgoing corrupt practices
act to prevent the machine Doliti-
clans from false registration, from
stuffing the ballot box or stealing the
elections, through variety OF frau
dulent practices; where there Is no
system by which the people can .e-
call crooked officials or veto laws
which the people do not want. or ini-
tiate laws which the people do want
II Is perfectly obvious to the most
casual observer that the people do
not rule, but are ruled by the mocha
nism OF machine politics under the
guidance OF the so-called local. couu-
ty, and state boss, because the ma
chine IL In control In a majority OF
states.
Influenced BY Environment.
"Of course In nominating thefprcsi-
dent or In nominating any other Inn
portant ofiicer, a. governor OF a
state. the machine will not dare 10
nominate q man who IL incapable OF
standing q campaign. But II must al
ways be remembered that all men,
including public men, are influenced
powerfully by their environment and
political associations and Affiliations,
and that the great corporate monOpo-
lies Of the country are fully aware OF
those whose predictions will enable
them TO be subjected to influences In
the Interest of big business.
1T II not az all necessary 20 sug-
eest that machine candidates ore OF
necessity dishonest or even insincere.
| II 10 sufficient that they are subject
to the domination or influence of spe-
cial interests. In this event, tho reo-
pie are not I'm reality exercising the
right to rule, but they are being. ruled
by nominees and candidates chosen
against the interests OF the people,
and who would be greatly disliked ny
the people IL the people really un-
derstood what to expect from them.
"Self-goyernment il through two
main systems; either II II party gov
eminent in combination with consti-
tutional government or self-govcrn-
ment solely through the constitutional
form; that 10, the direct rule of the
people through constitutional forms.
without having party government.
The great political problem Of the
age Ia, how can real government
be re-established In national affairs,
and be re-established In the states
and In the towns and cities wherein
as yet the people are still out Of pow
er?
"The line Of least resistance In re-
establishing the self-governmeLt Of
the people liz through the initiative
and referendum by questioning candi
dates on this Issue when the candi-
date Is seeking votes. The ordinary
candidate will not dare TO refuse his
promise TO support the initiative and
referendum when he Ii seeking to be
nominated or elected, II vigorously
questioned by organized bodies of
voters. To do 50 IL to ask the voters
70 support him az a lawmaker and at
the same time TO deny the people
whose votes he solicits their right to
initiate any law they do want or TO
veto any law they do not want. Few
candidates have the hardihood TO do
this. No candidate can succeed In IL
where the people are In earnest In
making the demand.
When the initiative and rcferen-
DUN established, so that the people
can initiate any law they do want and
veto any law they do not want. the
next steps are easy--to establish a
acknowledging. mandatory, direct pri-
mary, safeguarded by law, and TO
establish. also, thoroughgoin cor
rupt-practices act that will secure az
honest registration law, faithfully adj
mlnlstered, and will guarantees like
wise elections free from bribery,
coercion, and corruption. In this way
seif-government can be secured for
the states as states.
For villages, towns, cities, and