Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-04-19
Third Plank of the Progressive Re-
publican Platform.

Third Plank OF the Progressive Re-
publican Platform.
A headless ballot.
The object of headless ballot is the
encouragement of independent and non
partisan voting. The professional politi-
clan. the political hack. the vote for a
yellow dog if on the ticket" kind of man,
and all of that ilk, will of course disap-
prove of this plank. These would have
the candidates nominated, as in the past,
by the caucus and convention system,
whereby special few can do all the
naming and would then have the election
SO conducted as to make it very difficult
for the voters to do anything but vote
straight party ticket. In this way the
rule of the few is perpetuated. But no
body dares to say that such sitting of the
voice Of the voters is republicanism.
True repubcanism would hold every
election in such way as to give iull.
free, untrammeled expression to the will
of the voters. A headless ballot encour-
ages such untrammeled voting. There
fore headless ballet is a true republican
measure.
Party names and party cries are often
used to befog real issues and to lead the
people to vote for unworthy men, while
some special interest is undermining the
welfare of the people as whole.
If parties could always be lined up in
battle for principle. with distipot issues
at stake. with only honest men and true
on the ticket, then partisan voting might
always be desirable But such conditions
rarely prevail. For instance, in 1850 and
for several years thereafter. slavery
was the one great issue before the people.
The slaveholding interests of the South
were threatening to dominate the entire
country. They did dominate both of the
parties of that time. Neither the Wing
nor the Democratic party would take
decided stand against slavery.
But in the early fifties individuals did
begin to take such a stand. Some of these
were wings and some democrats, This
led to Independence in voting. Gradually
the voters select the men on whatsoever
ticket who stood for what the people
wanted. Thus did Lincoln, Seward.
Chase and Blair and other founders OF
the republican party, come to the front.
The Republican party resulted from the
organization of independent voters.
II instead of the logic of history we
use the logic of the science of government
we must reach the same conclusion;
namely that free untrammeled voting is
always desirable.
Pure aristooracies and pure monarchies
hold no elections. These are not govern
ments "by the people,. Only where it is
desired to learn the will Of the people are
elections held. And any government
that thus learns the will of the people
and then does that WILL is to that extent,
republican in form.
A true republican government is one
that learns the will of the people to the
fullest extent possible. and than carries
that will into effect First comes the
learning. That is done at elections.
! 1t follows that full. free, independent,
untrammeed expression of the voice of
people at elections. is the very corner
stone, the chief pillar. the sine quo non"
of a republican government. 1t also
follows that all devices. all measures that
will promote and protect such an election,
are truly republican. The headless ballot
is one of these,
Other devices, which shall discuss
more fully later, planned simply to give
fuller and freer expression to the will of
the people and to carry into effect that
will, are efficient primary laws. including
preferential primaries for U. S. senators
and president. the initiative and referen-
dunn. and the recall. This is the living.
the real. the paramount issue Of the pres
ent campaign. Learning and doing the
will Of the people.
The crisis is as great as any time in
our country's history. Special interests
are striving to thwart this will of the
people. Politicians are crying out for
protective tariff. or for free trade, all to
befog the real issue. Corporation con-
trolled papers and lawyers are bowling
about the sacredness Of the constitution
-as if the laws for learning and doing
the peoples will could be against the con-
stitution of a republican government.
Let the politicians rave-their calling
is in danger. Let the corporationists howl
they may not hereafter be able to have
a government for corporations. Let the
high priests of the legal profession rant
the constitution is the peoples consti-
tuition. Be not deceived.
DAVID