Arizona republican., 1911-11-04
Current Comment
MIsAPPREHENSIoN OF OUR
 POLITICAL LIFE.
OUR

One of the most glaring misappre- hensions of the present time is that the acts of legislators or officials which smack of corruption or lower the tone of public life are primarily or principally the results of their own disposition or choice, writes United States Senator Theodore F. Burton of Ohio. These acts result rather from the insistent and sometimes un- reasonable demands of their Ganstitu- ents or from the mistaken ideals of the people. From January to De cember the public official is con- stantly reminded that he is the serv- ant of the people. and that iu order to retain his position he must com ply with their wishes. Furthermore, it is difficult for any one who Je- bends upon the suffrage of the peo- pie to rise far above their general ideals
 The use of money in elections is a deplorable practice and one that must be remedied if We are to purify our politics. There is a popular opinion that the office holder or the office seeker enjoys going about among his constituents distributing money in or der to secure their votes Nothing could be further from the truth. The candidate, of course. desires to be elected. At the very outset he is confronted by the absolute indffer- ence of the voters to their political duties. They are loath to leave their slippers and after-dinner cigar and go to the election polls for registra- ton, and again on election day they are reluctant to spare the few min utes necessary to cast their vote. They even forget when election day occurs, and in order to secure their votes it is necessary to engage hus- tiers to remind them, and to furnish carriages or other Conveyances to take them to the polls. All the eX- penses required for these services the candidates would be very glad tO avoid. The people and not the candi- date are directly responsible for them. There are also other sources of cX- penditure to which the politician is subjected. When d candidate is be- fore the people he is regarded by numerous classes as a legitimate ob- ject for plundcr. All who seek sub scriptions. such as organizers of con certs, dances and rallies. flock to him with requests that he subscribe or purchase d liberal supply of tick cts, accompanying that request with a yelled threat that political defeat attends him if he does not give lib erally of his means. The states of New ork and Ohio have passed laws prohibiting requests of this nature. and their example ought to be fol- lowed by every state in the Union.
 Another misapprehension often in dulged in is that the earnest en- deaVor of the candidate to share in pork barrel legislation, such as ap- propriations for navy yards, military posts. rivers and harbors, and public buildings, and the disposition to be- come. as it were, mere local agent for a constituency, is the fault of the legislators themselves. One reason for these demands is that the ability and usefulness of a legislator ar oth- CT public official are gauged by his success in obtaining appropriations. or. as it is sometimes called, bringing something home for his constituents. When once the people of the cities, counties andstates will think national thoughts and demand legislation along broad comprehensive lines. this source of reproach for the official will dis appear. and with it will disappear plundering legislation and the degra-