The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-02-03
EFFICIENcY OR VOTES.

6<f1ClxiNcE OK VOTES.
Every time au election draws near a
horde of candidates spring up for the
various offices within the gift of the
people.
Some of these are mentally and NOR
ally competent, while others are totally
unfit.
Under our accepted theory of self
government we are presumed to select
@en with especial regard to their
qualifications, their integrity, and their
all round fitncss for the particular Of
fee in view.
That, though, ia only thecry. In
practice we seldom do anything Of the
Kind ~
In theory tho people are supposed to
make their own selections. without
bias Or coercion.
But they don't.
In practice the besses, politely term
ed leaders, assemble in secret and make
their own selections and then proceed
TO ram them down the throats Of the
people who do tho voting.
In making those selections behind
closed doors the bosses (beg pardon,
the "ieaders') give but little heed to
the mere matter Of fitness or qualiAca-
tion.' The ;one predcmni4ssing thought
in their minds il, "will he be amen
Sble 70 our advice and ssggestionss"
The ueKt and ealy remaining problem
Is tAak Of delivering the votes.
q al -oe thess proceedings the peo.
pie are net osnss1ted, although they
pesfercs nSst fost tho bills. The only
privilege accorded these "sovereign
peepae'' 10 to vote, and vote ~ they
sre TIA lbeg, pardon again, ~ they
ara ste1yised.:%
the Naa who i govd to the bosses
tshaeeA We aeaa- si]ssders.C cen
Aeee. sieAt On holding pablo Office ~
rAAa - - saAGianes ~ - eeaa - In
snasteraL. unless IN tho meantime the
people become - disgusted they liter
IDLY kick him cut.
Aad Why i it az
Very simple. Mr.. Voter, very simple,
inteea.
Having held their secret conclave and
seaectcd their p~ppe+ (beg a hundred
pardons. We neaa ''man'), the boss.
es sally forth with angel faces and sing
the itaiaes Of .their Fido. They. endow
him with all Of the graces Of the hui.
otan race. beatow upon him the wisdom
!, Of 6oioman. and advertise him far and
wide a. "tho hope Of the people,"
Ana because We (the people) are not
bosses (ahcsnl leaders,; because we
talk little and think less; because we
follow the "advice" Of the bosses in
stead. Of investigating men and con
ditions Observation-Disclosures Of all these
things we elect tho tools of the bosses
today and curse our system Of govern
ment tomorrow
Bosses are not confined to national
and state politics. They flourish in
every district. in every county, in ev
cry township. and in every city and vii,
lage.
Bosses are everywhere, scheming,
wire pulling, enticing, debating, fore.
ing their will upon people whose will
alone should DO supreme
Bosses do not like to be called boss
es. They prefer to pose as loyal party
leaders. whose "duty" it is to guide
"the people" in the way they should
go
And the way of the bosses is so sub
tie that the people do not realize that
they are being led around by the nose,
that they are being herded like sheep
that they are obeying the will of the
bosses at every election.
1t is difficult matter for any man
to secure even the humblest of public !
Offices without FIRST securing the ap- |
provai of the bosses, and that APPROX
al renders him unfit to loyalty serve
the people al a whole.
We would like to ace a different sys
tenn in vogue, and we would like to see
1T make the start right in this local
community.
We would like to see the names of |
every man who seeks office posted !
where the people can see it. Then we
would like to see every voter make his
own decision without a single sugges-
ton or a word of advice from any 9th
er person.
Then we might hope to fpd men fill ,
ing public Office because of efficiency,
Mharaas nau Il Ia mainly a rn,est;on nf