Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-31

JAMES n. GlPSON.
hoped that our platform will incorpo-
rate a demand for legislation which |
will absolutely prevent the employ
ment of men underground who are not |
English speaking citizens.
Local Affair&
"The dominant demand of every |
Progressive meeting has been for re-
trenchment in public affairs. and a re-
duction IN the outrageous burdens of
taxation. The theory of the old school
of politicians has apparently been that
government is instituted among men
for the benefit of the office holders; |
and the salaries and the fat jobs and
| junketing trips have increased and
multiplied abroad in the land until the |
substance of the people has been con-
sumed. This must be changed. The
Progressive idea seems to be that any
man who seeks public office should do
so at a material sacrifice, or at least,
| he should not expect to fatten his own
| pocl1etbook while serving the people.
| Their idea further is that every office
should Justify Its existence before the
| people by benefits given the people.
The Progressive platform. then, will
| likely contain the demand that ex-
| travagant salaries be reduced, and that
partly or wholly ornamental boards,
bureaus and commissions be abolished.
With us, 1t win not be any Take your
tax receipts to the polls declaration.
We should make searching examina-
ton of the whole body of office hold
ers, and specify what particular sal
aries must be reduced. Every office
and commission not specified in our
state constitution should be carefully
considered; and If 1t cannot be shown
beyond dispute that the benefits to the
whole people are greater than the ex-
pense, then the platform should de-
clare for the abolition of that office.
4 We must specify with distinctiveness
what we will do IL put in power, and
we must make clear to our candidates
and to the people, that a Progressive
platform is a solemn covenant with
the people, which will be carried out
to the letter If the people entrust us
with the sacred responsibilities of gov
| eminent.
The Short Ballot.
while our people feel that much
may be done by rigid retrenchment,
there is a general demand for certain
radical changes in the form of our
county and state government, to be
brought about through what is known
as the short ballot. For instance, in
county affairs, we elect at present an
executive board. or board OF county
| commissioners, with limited powers,
and nine administrative and clerical
teRFf TIT 1- - ~.
ness. The Progressive proposal would
center the responsibility, at present
divided among IL elective officials, to
three-in other words, we would elect
only the board of commissioners, CIV
ing them greatly increased powers and
the authority to name the other Of
ficers, who would be simply clerks,
hired to do certain work in a certain
way, and subject to discharge at any
time for failure to do this work well.
At the present time any complaint
about high taxes is met by skillful
lodging of the responsibility among
Jour county officials. The commission
ers blame this office and that office
and the clerks and the sheriffs blame
the commissioners or the treasurers
and the attorneys. and the people for
their complaint. have the privilege of
paying more taxes each year. We
should give our commissioners the
same powers possessed by the board
of directors of a great corporation and
demand of them the same efficiency
in the conduct of our public affairs
secured by the great corporations. The
system we have is wrong. The state
ment was made down at Twin Falls
at one of our meetings that the bust
ness transacted at the larger stations
of the Oregon Short Line in this state
was more than equal to the work done
in the average court house and the ex-
pense was about one third. This may
, or may not be well founded. but It is
! hard to believe that any thinking man
or woman Will not concede that our
!; present system is outworn inefficient
, and extremely expensive to operate.
i Mind you. we must be watchful of the
rights of the people in making any
such change as this. If we give our
commissioners larger powers and
, longer terms we must at all times keep
, In our hands the right to hire and
fire our public servants. The recall
must be available for use whenever
needed.
AN application of the same prin-
ciples to our state government would
, result in the abolition of the existing
Legislature made up of some so-odd
members, and divided, for greater inef-
Z, ficiency, into two houses and the sub
stitution therefor of a small and COM
pact commission We would entrust
the governor with the appointing of
the different state officials, just as we
now allow the president to name his
cabinet. Our legislative commission of
picked men could sit in session the
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