The Calumet news., 1912-02-21

this element Of monolopy, should be
carefully supervised. regulated. and
controlled by governmental authority /.
and such control should be exercised
by administrative. rather than by
judicial. officers. No effort should be
made 10 destroy a big corporation
merely because II is big, merely be-
cause it has shown itself a peculiarly
efficient business instrument.
The legislature should make Il more
clear exactly what methods are illegal
and then the judiciary will be in
better position to punish adequately
and relentlessly those who insist on
defying the clear legislative DEGREES
1 do not believe eany absolute private
monopoly IS justified. but If our great
combinations are properly supervised.
so that immoral practices are prevent
ed, absolute monopoly will not come
to pass, as the laws of competition and
efficiency are against il.
Favors Short Ballot.
shape your Constitutional action so
that the people will be able through
their legislative bodies, or. failing that
by direct popular vote, TO provide
workmen's compensation acts 10 reg
ulate the hours OF labor for children
and for women. to provide for their
safety while at work. and to prevent
| overwork or work under unhygienic or
unsafe conditions. Sec TO il that no
restrictions are placed upon legislative
powers that will prevent the enactment
Of laws under which your people can
promote the general welfare, the COM
mon good.
$50 much FOR the ends of government
and 1 have, Of course. merely sketched
In outline what the ends should be-
Now for the machinery by which these
ends are TO be achieved: ana here
again remember | only sketch I'm cut
line and do not for a moment pretend
TO work out in detail the methods of
achieving your purposes
In the first place believe in the
short ballot. You cannot get good SER
vice from the public servant if you
cannot see him. and there ls no moro
effective way Of hiding him than by
mixing him up with a multitude of
others So that they are none of them
important enough to catch the eye of
the average, workaday citizen. The
crook in public life is not ordinarily
the man whom the people themselves
elect directly TO a highly important and
responsible position. The professional
politician and the professional lobbyist
thrive most rankly under a system
(which provides a multitude of elective
officers, of such divided responsibility |
and of such obscurity that the public
knows, and can knew. but little as to
their duties and the way they perform
them.
The people have nothing whatever
to fear from giving any public servant
power so long as they retain their own
power to hold him accountable for his
use of the power they have delegated !
to him. You will get best service |
where each man has his definite duties |
and responsibilities. and is obliged to
work In the open so that the people /
know who he is and what he is doing |
and have the information that. will en-
able them to hold him to account for |
his stewardship.
Believes In Direct Primaries.
Il believe in providing for direct
nominations by the people, including
therein direct preferential primaries
for the election of delegates to the
National nominating conventions. be-
lieve in the election of United States
Senator by direct vote. ! believe In
the initiative and the referendum,
which should be used not to destroy
representative government. but to cor
rect it whenever it becomes misrepre-
sentative.
Il believe that the initiative and re-
ferendum should be used not as sub
stitutes for representative government
but as methods Of making such gov
ernment really representative. Action
by the Initiative or referendum ought
not To be the normal way of iegisla-
tion: but the power 10 take it should
be provided in the Constitution. so that
if the representatives fail truly to rep
resent the people on some matter Of
sufficient importance To rouse popular
interest, then the people shall have in
their hands the facilities to make
good the failure
And l urge YOU not to try to put
fetters on the legislature,
as so many constitution makers have
recently done. Such action on your
part would invite the courts TO render
negatory every legislature act 10 bet
ter social conditions. Give the legis-
lature an entirely free hand; and then
provide by the initiative and referen-
dunn that the people shall have power
to reverse or supplement the work of
the legislature should it ever become
necessary.
"As to the recall. ! do not believe
that there is any great necessity for
it as regards short-term elective Off
GERS. There remains the question of
the recall of judges
AN independent and upright judi
ciary which fearlessly stands for the
right, even against popular clamor but
which also understands and sympa-
thizes with popular needs. Is a great
asset of popular government. believe
in the necessity for the courts inter-