Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-08-22
FROM ROOSEVELT'S CONFESSION
OF FAITH.
(Second Installment.) }

Democratic Promises Incompatible
Finally, the democratic platform
not only shows an utter failure to
understand either present conditions
or the means of making these condi-
tions better, but also a reckless will
lingness to try to attract various
sections of the electorate by making
mutually incompatible promises
which there is not the slightest in
tention of redeeming, and which, if
redeemed, would result in sheer ruin.
Far-seeing patriots should turn
scornfully from men who seek power
on a platform which with exquisite
nicely combines silly inability to un-
derstand the national needs and dis
honest insincerity in promising con-
flicting and impossible remedies.
If this country is really to go for
ward along the path of social and
economic justice, there must be a
new party of nationwide and non
sectional principles, party where
the titular national chiefs and the
real state leaders shall be in genuine
accord a party in whose counsels
the people shall be supreme; party
that shall represent in the nation
and the several states alike the same
cause, the cause of human rights
and of government efficiency. At
present both the old parties are con-
trolled by professional politicians in
the interests of the privileged classes,
and apparently each has set up as
its ideal of business and political
development a government by finan-
cial despotism tempered with make
believe political assassination. Dem
ocrat and republican alike, they rep
resent, government of the needy
many by professional politicians in
the interests of the rich few This is
class government, and class govern
ment of a peculiarly unwholesome
kind.
1t seems to me, therefore, that the
time is ripe, and overripe, for a gen
uine progressive movement, nation
wide and justice loving, sprung from
and responsible to the people them
selves, and sundered by great gulf
from both of the old party organiza-
tions, while representing all that is
best to the hopes, beliefs and aspira-
tions of the plain people who make
up the immense majority Of the rank
and file of both the old parties.
The first essential in the progress
sive program Is the right of the peo-
pie to rule. But a few months ago
our opponents were assuring us with
insincere clamor that it was absurd
for us to talk about desiring that
the people should rule, because, as a
matter of fact, the people actually
did rule. Since that time the actions
of the Chicago convention, and to ar
only less degree of the Baltimore
fashion how little the people do rule
under our present conditions. We
should provide by national law fol
presidential primaries. We should
provide for the election of United
States senators by popular vote. We
should provide for a short ballot
nothing makes it harder for the peo
pie to control their public servants
than to force them to vote for 81
many officials that they cannot real
ly keep track of any one of them
so that each becomes indistinguish
able in the crowd around him. There
must be stringent and efficient cor
rupe practices acts, applying to the
primaries as we'll as the elections
and there should be publicity of cam
paign contributions during the cam
paign. We should provide through
out this Union for giving the people
in every state the real right to rult
themselves, and really and not nom
inaly to control their political serv
ants and their agencies for doing th'
public business; an incident of thi
being giving the people the righ
themselves to do this public bust
ness if they find it impossible to ge
what they desire through the exist
ing agencies. l do not attempt t,
dogmatize as to the machinery b.
which this end should be achieved
In each community it must be SHAPED
so as to correspond not merely witt