Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-10-14
ELIHU ROOT SAYS SHORT BALLOT
WILL CHECK GOVERNMENT BY BOSS
Eloquent Plea for Ideals Voiced
Before New York State
Convention

tremendous work. One day, moved
by the need Of emphasizing to the con-
Ventioh the necessity Of creating .
form Of government which should 80
far az possible eliminate opportunities
speech. II 10 the biggest single in
eident In the convention, and Is ad-
nnitted to have been a powerful factor
in causing the convention to adopt
for New York state the "shor ballot
form Of government. The speech is re-
produced here because of its tin1eli-
ness IN view Of the Honolulu charter
conventions deIiberations.l
Mr.. Chairman. there never was a
reform in administration In this world
which did not have to make its way
against the strong feeling Of good, hon
est men, concerned in existing meth
DDS OF administration, and who saw
nothing wrong. Never! 1t is no i'm
parchment to q mans honesty, bis in
tegrity, that be thinks the methods
that he is familiar with and in which
he is engaged are all right. But you
cannot make any Improvement in this
world without overriding the satfsfac-
ton that men have In the things as
they are, and OF which they are a con.
tented and successful part say that
the growth, extension, general accept.
ance OF this principle shows that all
these experienced politicians and ,cfti-
zens in all these conventions felt that
the people of the state saw something
wrong In our state government. and
we are here charged with a duty, not
of closing our eyes, but OF opening
them, and seeing, II we can, what ii
was that was wrong.
Now, anybody can see that all these
152 outlying agencies. big and little,
lying around loose. accountable to no
body, spending all the money they can
get, violate every principle of econ
omy. OF efficiency. of the proper tran.
sact!on of business Everyone can
see that all around us are political or
CARNATIONS carrying on the business
Of government, that have learned their
lesson from the great business organi-
cations which have been so phenome-
nally successful in recent years. -. -
Cities Reckoning Themselves. n,s#
The governments OF our cities: why.
20 years ago, when James Bryce wrote
his American Commonwealth. the
government OF American cities was a
byword and shame for Americans
all over the world Heaven be thanked,
the government Of our cities has now
gone far toward redeeming itself and
us from that disgrace, and the govern.
ment OF American cities today Is IN
the main far superior to the govern.
ment OF American states challenge
contradiction to that statement How
has il been reaehede How have our
cities keen lifted up from the low
grade OF incompeteney and corruption
on which they stood when the Ameri-
can Commonwealth was written? 1t
has been done bv applying the prfn-
ciples of this bill to city government.
by giving power to the men elected
by the people to do the things for
which they we're elected. So say II |
Is quite plain that that is not all. It |
IS not all. -. ss: e@s,. 2. r
/ am going TO discuss q subject now !
hat goes back to the beginning Of the |
political life of the Oldest man in this |
and one to which we can. |
not close our eyes, II we keep the OBJ |
igations IF our oath. We talk about |
he government OF the constitution.
We have spent many days In discuss.
ng the powers OF this and. that and |
he other officer. What is the govern. /
nent Of this state? what has it been
Turing the 40 years OF my acquaint,
Ince with it? The government of the t
Oh, no; not half the
fme. or half way When | ask what
10 the people find wrong in our state
my mind goes back to
hose periodic fits of public rage in
which the people rouse up and tear
own the political leader, first Of one
me party and then of the other party.
t goes on to the public feeling of re-
eminent against the control of party
Of both parties and of
n parties.
Invisible Government"
Now, treat this subject in my own
mind not as personal question to
ny man. | am talking about the sys-
EN-. From the days Of Fenton. and
'onkling, and Arthur and Cornell, and
~ ~ AAOAh ING oog vi DdNIO L. INN,
own to the present time the govern !,
nent OF the state has presented two
ffferent lines Of activity, one Of the
and statutory officers OF
he state and the other Of the party
call them party bosses.
hey call the SYSTEM don't coin the
hrase, adopt it because it carries
Is own ueaning-the system they
all invisible government" For
ont remember how many years, Mr..
was the supreme ruler IN
his state; the governor did not count.
he legislatures did not count; comp
rollers and secretaries of state and
hat not. did not count. 1t vas what
ir. Conkling said. and in a great out-
urst OF public rage he was Pulled
own.
Then Mr.. Plat ruled the state; for
Ugh upon 20 years he ruled it. 1t
as not the governor: it was not the
legislature; It was not any elected Of
GERS; it was Mr. Plat. And the CAPT
81 was not here; it was at ~ Broad, ,
'ay; Mr., Plat and his lieutenants.
makes no difference what name Won