The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-08-10
THE PEOPLES WAY.

The people are uelefulueu w navy
their own way. This invinclble re-
solve of the people to work out their
own salvation by methods chosen Dy
themselves is the fact which includes
all other civic facts of the time. 1t
is the universal key which unlocks
the door of every situation. 1t IS
the plummet which every political
pilot must use, who honestly wishes
to fathom the minds Of his fellow
men, and guide the ship OF party
Alright. 1t is the magnetic needle
which must be pivoted beneath the
compass glass of every political or
ganization that wants to know which
way is north.
1t is a truth whose forms or ex-
preston are many because It's scope
is wide as nation of ninety mlillon
people. Direct Primaries, Direct
Election of Senators, the safeguard
ing of elections by publicity, llmlta-
ton of campaign expenses, with us
elimination of unfair advantages OF
the wealthy candidate, or the canol-
date backed by rich and powerful IN
terests, over the poor candidate, are
all conspicuous examples OF the de-
termination of the people to assert
the sovereignty reposed in them Dy
the constitution.
The central principle underlying
all these phases of universal move
ment, is transfer of government anu
of the party organization Whlch IS
the material out OF which govern
ment is made, from the hands OF the
few to the hands of the many. 1t is
a reclamation, a reaffirmation, a re-
coyerv and a putting in practice, Oh
the Democracy on which all Amerl-
can institutions are founded. Its
object is to enable the people to act
for themselves in all matters wherein
immediate action by them is posi-
Bile, and where it is not, to secure
genuine representation OF the people
instead of the oligarchy OF machines.
The favorite plea of those who are
hostile to the people reserVlng 1or
themselves the rights inherent IN
them, is that such popular control
means disruption of party organlza-
ton. On the contrary, it means a
stronger party organization because,
being composed Of the people, denial
of the organization would be repud-
iation of it's members by themselves
"a thing impossible. Take for ex-
ample the direct primary. 1t is no
more a novelty-it has long been an
established institution in many
states. In all the history of the d.
rect primary, never has party cones
ion or discipline been disrupted by 1t.
Whatever discontinue it has caused
was discontinue of personal amDl'
tion-of the greed of individuals 1ol
power. Party regularity, and party
consistency, have been sustained anu
strengthened. Party effectiveness
has been uniformly Increased by
transference of the means OF party
direction to the people. SO long as
party exist, there must be Leadership
and discipline. Rule of the party by
, the people is the only source from
which genuine leadership can DC
evolved. Self-discipline is the only
discipline to which self-respectins
party will submit.
The peoples control of party tao
tics, is the cornerstone of public
confidence in party methods, mel
ting past the stage, when, IT part.
committee meets, if a party conven
ton assemblies, it will be assumed
in the popular mind that such com
mittee or convention is going to d.
what any man, or any group OF mel
tells it to do. The era of direct &C
ton, of leadership that is responsible
because it is responsive, and repre-
sentative because it reflects the vii
of the people, and must receive 1t
clean bill from the people themselve
or not at all, is at hand. The stlgm;
will be removed from party mechan
ism because the cogs, wheels an
levers of the mechanism withou
which no party can be run, will b
composed of the people. The peopl
are bound to have their own way, an
they are getting it.-National Month
ly.