Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-10

The follotOinO discussion of the relation Of
governmental mechanism and the party
system to honest, efficient government Is
part Of the address delivered BY eT-Prest-
dent Taft before the American Bankers
Association. Ten days ago the country
heard from Senator Root the invisible
government NotU Professor Taft en-
phGstses the importance Of the UiSible
government
A MOST important development in the
n country has been an attack upon our
representative system Of Government as
cause of the corporate and corrupt control
of politics. If 1t be true that a people have
rot information and intelligence to select
from their own number competent and hon
est agents to do their work, they certainly
have not the capacity to perform the much
more difficult task of passing useful Judg-
ment on statutes, frequently difficult to con-
strue or understand. Again, the duty i'm
posed upon the people in legislating by
initiative and referendum is so much more
burdensome than that imposed by the rep
resentative system in selecting agents to
do this work that the majority of the voters
too frequently refuse to perform their cleo
toral duties, and thus leave to a minority
of the electorate the decision of important
questions submitted by referendum. The
majority of the electorate thus show that
they do not approve the reference to them
of such difficult questions.
The success of our popular Govern
ment, in promoting the happiness of all the
people, depends upon the justice and equity
with which it reconciles the rights of mi
nority and of individuals.
New Mechanism No Solution
Such justice and equity has been obtained
by the adoption of a written constitution
and an Interpretation and enforcement of
1t by an independent judiciary whom the
people took pains to surround with every
protection against popular passion or con-
gressional or executive restraint The sys-
tenn of representative Government is an
institution hammered out in the struggle
for liberty by our Anglo Saxon ancestors
for 500 years. The system of written con-
situations and an Independent judiciary has
vindicated itself in the strenuous life of the
Republic for 1875 years and there is nothing
in the actual results of the initiative refer
endum and recall that commends them as
a substitute
What is true with respect to the State is
true with respect to the party. Parties are
essential to popular government. In no
other way practically can the will of all the
electorate be interpreted and embodied in
affirmative action, legislative and executive
The selection OF candidates by a party is a
matter In which the community may prop
erly take an interest and with respect 10
which the legislature may properly pass laws
to prevent abuses which have arisen in party
government.
But the question which I moot is whether
the selection Of candidates at a general pri-
mary has tended to the elimination of cor
ruption or political machine rule and the
selection of better Representatives OF a party
/ say without hesitation that II has not.
Certainly II has not with respect to the many
offices to which II applies, when the persons
to be selected are not persons OF whose quail,
fcation the public can. In the nature of
things, have any intimate knowledge. The
standard OF judges In those States where
the candidates are selected by a general pri
mary has notably and perceptibly become
inferior to those who were selected under the
old convention system.
The convention system gave rise to abuses.
Bosses and machines were able to control
the convention. but even under the worst
boss and the worst machine the convention
was body with sense OF some responsi
biity growing out OF its desire to nominate
a ticket which would win In the election
and therefore while II may have nominated
many machine candidates whose selection
did not make for the public interest, il fire.
quently nominated men OF strength ana
popularity and high character In order that
the ticket might be vote-getting one.
Under the system OF the general primarv
there is no self responsibility. Especially
is this true in the selection OF the subordi.
nate on1cers. circumstances OF no real or
proper slFnincance In the selection OF quaii-
ned eandidates a1Iset TIE ch6lcs In such