Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-08
PUBLICISM

TT rs n curious human phenomenon that the
i person who does not agree with you should
always be illogical in his arguments, blind
to fallacies careless as to premises and ut
terly irrelevant in his deductions. Man of
parts he may be, holder Of dozen doctors
degrees, publicst de luxe, with national
reputation for brilliance but naive, even
puere, in his reasoning. The curious thing
Is that this fatal flaw in his logic ruins his
entire style He seems to have lost his
punch" since year ago, when he wrote that
delightful article on "Hoodoos and Voodoos
in the Antipodes."
In spite of plying him for his fatuous
feebleness there is certain fascination in
watching his misguided efforts. There is al
ways stimulus, a sort of intellectual massage
for q conservative in reading radical articles,
and for radicals in reading reactionary propa-
ganda. There is a fair division of articles
on public affairs and interests between both
sides in the current magazines
Under the mild and generic title, 1.-THE Or
ganization of Public Opinion" in the North
American Review %, President Hadley of
Yale, represents the conservatives with a
criticism of the direct primary. He is cheer
fully optimistic in his description of the con-
vention system, from under which we are
JUST paSSlHB.
For the past 20 years we have been trying
to give the people a more direct voice in the
work OF government. We have been expert
menting with measures like the initiative
the referendum, the recall or the direct pri-
mary. AS we look what has been ac-
complished by those means, we are surprised
to see how slight has been their effect The
new system has simply substituted one kind
of organization for another.
In 1924 we overthrow the legislative caucus
n dominant nd laPt
field open for the party machine. Today we
are oVerthrowing the party machine and are
leaving the field open to the press. And ac-
cording as the press uses its new power for
evil for good, will the results of the ref
erendum and the direct primary and other
similar agencies of modern democracy, be
also evil or good
The convention system has been distinctly
favorable to the nomination of businesslike
candidates for the principal offices. With
the substitution of the direct primary we are
bound to lose something of this advantage.
We are almost certain to see a larger num-
ber Of candidates who represent extreme
views on either side.
Are We Advancing Backward?
The conservative point of view is sounded
again in a warning against Government own
ership in the February Atlantic (2). The
article is by Samuel Dunn, who is editor of
the Railway-Age Gazette.
The fundamental trouble with Government
ownership is that it reverses a tendency
which has marked the progress of modern
civilization and has contributed greatly
toward promoting 1.-THE tendency toward
differentiation OF political and economic func-
tions Under the patriarchal system all po-
Etical, social and economic functions were
concentrated in the patriarch. From the
Middle Ages to the present time the differ
entiation of these various functions, while
often retarded, has never ceased.
Government ownership is a movement
backward because it would reconsolidate
4pnl and 10 D,VEl IT,
ership often Is advocated the only ef-
fectiVe means OF destroying the corrupting
alliance of big business and politics. But al
ready the two great movements for the purI-
hcation of politics and for the regulation OF
concerns OF monopolistic or quasi-monopo-
listic character have practically dissolved
this alliance and are raising the tone of poll
tics and reducing the abuses in business.
To balance this defense OF "things-as-is,"
there is a ringing arraignment of our gov
ernmental negligence in regard to unemploy-
ment by William Hard in Everybody's 90:
We knew l2 months ago that during this
winter, during all previous winters the
owners OF the earth, the employers, the
leaders, would be Obliged In the annual coll
lapse OF their leadership. to discard several
million OF their employees, their followers
would be obliged to desert them-would be
Obliged to leave them leaderless and work
less. And we knew that in the ears OF count
less harassed, hunger hunted men the Whis-
per OF irresponsible recklessness would sound
and the suggestion OF crime which brings
food, and OF vice, which brings forgetfulness
would make It's entrance, and at the end OF
the winter We should have more new.
reeling regiment OF shattered chaTacters-one
more new horde OF those who were among
the unemployed but who are now forever
among the unemployables.
There are four devices for blot
ting out this spectacle OF leaders
s6Sesn. ana ioll0ssss ss5sins fRsse
standing rusting Tor use. We knew them
last winter. We knew them the winter be-
fore that The committees q distinguished