Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-01-12

Foreign representatives: Gone, noi
& enzen & woodman. Mallers buil1ihs,
II Chicago; 225 Fifth Ave-, New dofA
4 City; Gumbel Bldg. Kansas Guy WI.
u TIVE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Y The members of the general assem-
Eh,v now in session in Des Molnes'
I. shouId seriously ponder over the sug-
tions made by Gov. George W..
$lv 4rke IN his final message to the legls
I'M tnre. very complete abstract OF
asyhich appeared in yesterdays courier.
Il Gov Clarke's message is undoubtedly
a|lnromnted by a sincere desire to be Oh
to the state, from whose EN-
Nov he departs after many years. MS
lerns in the legislature, as lieutenant
4 tovernor and as governor tor lour
ears surely make him competent
tritic, His message prompts Dut one
}eeret viz: that he did not, himself
nv to accomplish the main pro)ects
outlined, while he was governor.
The dominating feature OF the mes
&saee is the arraignment OF the primary
;aw. Though he, himself, was a sue
Sessful candidate at more than one
urinary election, Gov Clarke does not
hesitate to point out its weaknesses
and it's failings. In this he is joined
those men who firmly believe IN
q REPRESENTATIVE government and in Sc
5fcuring efficient and high class omclais
Nor conducting the public's business
y He makes very clear his contention
that we cannot hope to secure the pest
possible public officials under sys'
tenn which limits the selection to those
who make formal application. ne
A.points out that the primary Is con,
Guciye to the rise of demogogues ana
that instead Of really putting the
Spbwer of government into the hands
or the people. the primary takes the
governing power away from the people
and lets a self appointed few control
S,The governor scouts the contention
What the primary, the initiative and rel
&erendum are moves toward democracy
9and insists that democracy is not prac-
8 ticable in this nation or this state. He
A stands for a republican government,
y and he defines the differences by CIV
ing the following illustration:
SBy republic i iisean government
in which the scheme of representation
takes place. The two great points OF
difference between a democracy and
"a republic are, first, the delegation OF
kthe government in the latter, to
small number of citizens elected by the
4 rest: secondly, the greater number OF
citizens and greater sphere of country
over which the latter may be extend
ed" suppose, however, republic
might extend over any extent OF terri
/, tory. But pure democracy Is clearly
incompatible with such vast extent
lof country as the United States. TO
Inv mind it is just as clearly Impossible
flof ultimate success in continued
nigh order of government in a state
such as Iowa. with a population OF
p.35S.066 people, containing more than
kS4 900 entitled to vote. 1t was clearly
kIpossible in New England colonial
Flown meetings. 1t is still successful
in such ventures. Switzerland is Of
( ten referred to, but Iowa is three and
,saa half times as large as Switzerland.
(RBesides, Switzerland is divided into
cantons, each sovereign
n and each but little larger than one
iowa county. In the canton OF Zurich,
next to the largest in population in the
4 confederation and probably the most
sintelligent, in ninety-two successive IN
tstances of measures submitted by rel
4, hrendum to the people only ITO, on
= average of the total vote was cast
riAnd of this 20os was invalid or blanks,
'tneaying only 57es valid votes cast and
n 800 per cent of the voters not votng
n at all. OF the votes cast one-fourth or
n them were cast by persons who either
Ifelt they were not well enough inform
Fed to vote, or, in general. they were
lacking in intelligence and 23qe nad
not interest enough to vote at all.
Therefore. the issues in these cases
N were determined by majority or the
t50es voting or, doubtless. by small
minority of the voters OF the canton
This was the result in unit OF govern
X ment but little larger than an Iowa
county. This manifests the want OF
IN interest and intelligent grasp OF the
involved by reason OF failure
even impossibility of the people
informing themselves. This may easily
A result In government by minority
This is the result in the best and long
! est tried democracy and this ever has
l, been and ever will be the result. 1t is
lsimply impossible to ultimate other
wise. I cannot but reach the conclu,
Il sion that those who see in our primary
flaws tendency toward the destruc
ltion Of the representative principle up
l NON which this government was built
! )are right"
! The present general assembly should
II Investigate what the governor says on
II this subject and act in accordance
4 with what they find to be the facts.
Likewise, they should consider very
Carefully his suggestions regarding the
N states budget. Undoubtedly there is
4 much room for improvement in the
4 states system of handling finances
There are Cousins" and politicians
4 and "lame ducks" drawing salaries
from the state, unless this state is diff
ferent from nearly every other state
in the union. But that is no reason
\ why Iowans should dig up taxes to
d continue them in office.
4 If the legislators will think less Of
a getting their names attached to ap
q propriation bills, and more about put
a ting the states finances on the same
8 basis as efficiently managed private
al husfnesS concerns are forced To adOnt