The Detroit times., 1916-04-19
THE PARTY.
~ Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank Crane)

The strongest accusation that can be
brought against the collective intelli-
gence of mankind is that so far it has de-
vised no system Of popular government
except the party system.
Edmund Burke defined government as
"a contrivance of human wisdom to pro-
vide for human wants." Perhaps any
human organization might be so defined.
But of all organizations, past present
and future. none has so uniformly failed
in its object, defeated the purposes of its
founders, and done more general damage
than the political party.
1t is said that the people cannot get
things done except by parties. If so. we
are in sad case. Man is a tool-using
animal. His progress is marked by the
tools he uses. The man that operates
linotype represents state of civilization
as far above that Of the man who wrote
with stylus as the complicated machine
is an advance over the simple one.
What shall we say of a state whose
only tool for doing tire peoples collective
business is the stupid, dog-fght affair
known as the political party?
The party is the instrument by which
funds for national defense and public i'm
provement are shunted into the pork
barrel.
1t is the preferred opening by which
private wealth gets it's hand into the
profit-bag of public utilities.
1t is the device by which the citizenry
| is corrupted, civic conscience befouled,
public spirit muddied until it becomes
private greed, patriotism is prostituted
to hypocrisy, the mass of intelligent
voters are kept befuddled and the man.
agement of cities and states turned over
to compact band of rascals whose tie
| that binds is "the cohesive power Of pub
lie plumber"
1t turns legislature into shameful
company of saloon rowdies quarrelhng
for weeks in a deadlock" over some di-
vision of spoils.
1t fills the Senate with wool senator's,
cotton senator's, steel senator's and oil
senator's, but furnishes no United States
senator.
AS soon as we select president to
carry out our will it raises up an army
of partisan naggers who criticize. harass,
curse and obstruct him in everything he
does. no matter what it is; for the parti-
san is perfectly willing to ruin the coun-
try if he can only get his opponent out OF
office and himself In.
Partisanship vitiates the decision OF
every court of justice, from police magls-
ltrate TO the supreme bench.
! 1t puts ban on reason and premium
on blind prejudice, the binder the bet
ter.
In its foul atmosphere all hates grow,
and all grudges, suspicious, fears and an
tipathies and intelligent discussion, clear
judgment and devotion to the public well
fare "dwindle, peak and pine.
Pretty soon the American people VIII
gather in their national party conven-
tons and the insane gabfest Will be on.
The campaign of vituperation, intrigue,
hypocrisy, bunk and selfishness will open.
The specious phrase-making orator will
be sent out to the front, while behind,
pulling the strings, will sit the shewd
manipulators, such as are depicted in
Sam Blythe's "A Western Warwick"
but what would you offer as sub
stitute for the party system? Why
should you object TO what we have If
Won can suggest nothing better?" An
swer: don't know. Still, because you
don't know how to cure man is no rea-
son YOU should call him well when ne has
pronounced disease.