Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-06-17
PARTY ORGANIZATION.

We have before us what is termed
a weekly news letter" from the
Employers Association of oregon. E"
This organization, as indicated by
this letter, has the rabies on ques-
tions of labor as well as of politics.
One S. F. Argonaut in discussing
political questions has the following
bit of uRdigested intelligence: RUE
of the people, in the sense that it is
proposed by the progressives, is prac-
tically an impossibility. There must
be, in politics, as in other things, or
ganization, discipline, cooperation
in other words, some species of par
ty organization and action. 1t has
been so everywhere since the over
throw of centralized and arbitrary
authority in public offices. 1t will
be so until the world in course of
political degeneracy or evolution
shall come round again to dictator
ship, kingship, or by whatever name
you may style the all-powerful
man."
When "the all-powerful man" of
which he speaks was a dictator he
was so only because the people had
fallen into the habit of granting to
him the individual power
tinn c oc tbaNr lfCnnunY11 ho&
he was using that power arbitrarily
against the interests of the many he
was shorn of it. The institution of
absolute monarchy was changed or
modified.
They mistakenly delegate the
power inherent in themselves to this
individual and suffered by it. When
they saw their mistake they quit.
Ever since then people have dele
gated the power inherent in the
whole body to what we call political
organizations and those organiza-
ionst have administered that power
in the interest of the classes instead
of all, just as the monarch arbitrarily
used it.
When the people were divorced
from the idea of the monarch they
refused longer to delegate that power
to him and kept it to themselves.
AS soon as the American people are
divorced from the idea of political
organization they will refuse to dele
gate power to an organization which
they can more equitably exert them
selves.
If, under our system, all power is
inherent in the people, why is it alb
/ solutely necessary to create an in
strument through which that power
may be expressed instead of exercis-
ing it directly, especially so when
it finds that the instrument fails to
exercise it in conformity with the
will of the conferee?
Just this has brought about the
direct primary. 1t supplies the ma
chinery through which the individual
can exercise inherent power without
delegating it to any other individual
or organization.
The primary system is a political
party destroyer. No organization
can be maintained under it, because
the way is made for the individual to
exercise directly the power hereto
fore delegated to the party organiza-
tion.
Therefore, under the primary sys.
TEN there is no more need for party
organization than there is for seven
wheels on lumber wagon.
If it is to be a government by the
people for the people, who has a bet.
ter right to determine --e kind OF
government than the individual?
If the exercise of power is to be
in the interest of all, equitable and
just, why necessary to create any.
thing to stand between the individual
and the government.
The primary system will make of
ficials responsible to the whole in.
stead of to party; there will be nc
longer any spoils system.
Man has been always inclined to
worship his creator. 1t is as true in
politics as in religion. Officials Gre
ated by the people will serve them
when created by party they have
/ served it.
Party service instead of public SER
vice has all but destroyed the Ameri-
can system. The system is being
changed now and brought into con-
| formity with modern demands
There will be no further use for par
! ty organization. But it will take
some time yet for institutional wor-
shippers to become aware of it.