Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-09

q
tain individuals for the removal of Mr. Murphy chief
of Tammany Hall. There implication that if Mr.
Murphy were eliminated the political corruption and the ma
chine despom against which the public has vigorously
protested, would be eliminated with him
Let not mistake the shadow for the substance Let
not be satisfied to eliminate superficial phase of the
evil and leave the actual evil untouched.
The thing be extpated destroyed merely the
Tammany Hall boss, but the Tammany Hall system
The thing responsible for the political corruption that the
people determined to destroy the political machine 1t
not merely the Democratic machine is the Republican
machine well 1t is the political system Of machine politics
the people
Machine politics undemocratc and American 1t is
political despom II the very opposite of the political lib
ery which the founders of this nation contemplated
be destroyed but will be destroyed merely by dis
other boss
Murphy is no worse than Croker Croker was no worse
than Kelly and Kelly was no than Tweed Each
ceedng boss of Tammany Hall than his prede-
cessor and better The Tammany Hall system continues
matter what boss in power because boss would
continued in power who did not continue this system
The inner workings Of Mr. Murphys brain would not be
materially changed by covering his head with hat and
the inner workings of Tammany Hall would not be altered by
giving it new Agurehead in the shape of boss is
not enough to eliminate political despot The emphatic
protest Of the community has been directed at all political
despotsm
The question before the community then is not merely
how to destroy the individual boss but HOW TO DESTROY
THE SYSTEM OF BOSSES. This not be done by spas
modc and sporadic uprsngs against corruption
of the political machine but must be done by SYSTEM OF
ELECTORAL REFORMS which will nufy the power of the
political machines and them permanently from the
field of politics WV
system which reposes political power in the hands of
the people must be substituted for the existing system which
political the hands purchasabe
the corrupt interests which habitualy purchase him
The necessary political power to the
people not speculative but practical operation in
most of the States of the Union where has already been
destroyed These measures
DIRECT NOMINATIONS,
THE MASSACHUSETTS BALLOT,
THE INITIATIVE
THE REFERENDUM
AND THE RECALL
Any one Of these measures will give partial political
ey to the people but only the adoption operation of
all of these measures will give the people complete political
liberty.
The Importance Of direct nominations a step toward the
destruction OF the political machine best by the per-
sistent and determined opposition of both political machines
to this reform The demand Of the direct
nominations has been clear and convincing clear that
political machines of both parties promised to concede
direct nominations to the citizens yet each when in posses
sion Of the machinery of government has failed keep its
promises
The desperate lengths to which machine will 90 rather
than establish general system of direct nominations which
would destroy the the machine are shown in the re
cent Sulzer episode
thinking does have Sulzer ofenses
to realize that Suzer peached because of those of
lenses but because of his threat carry the promises of
the Democratic platform the question direct nominations
enough but there few of the machine puppets who SAT
in equally aggravated form.