The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-01-25

tages to be secured to particular per-
Ons or interests through legislation.
We have, therefore, aggregations of
wealth fighting to increase their power
by control of government. The corrupt
voter feels and knows this. does not
perceive remedies, and vulgarly wants
his. " He argues that if the larger
/ interests may make money through
elections, there is no reason why he
should not share in moderate degree
the gain that is theirs. The origin of
corruption thus lies far back of election
day. and fundamental relief is not to
be had short of public appreciation of
the fact of unjust wealth; the intell-
gent understanding of social remedies
therefore and thorough national and
state overhauling. If, as it is claimed.
single Individual contributed $1,000, 600
to the campaign in the recent presi-
dental election. we may know that
that individual expected to multiply his
investment through control of public
| favors, and if, as Senator Owen in
| dicates, one man collected and disburs-
ed outside of campaign committees,
Sc, 900, 600, we may form a slight con-
ception of the tremendous interests con-
cerned in corrupting the public con
science. Bread and circuses" was
the cry of the corrupted citizenship of
Rome as it was being robbed of the
public lands and wealth. Graft and
greenbacks" is our cry today as we
lose to a few our vast natural re-
sources.
Itisnot part, however, of my purpose
now at least to discuss these gigantic So
cial questions almost battling answer. 1t
will suffice for present purposes to re-
member that the Lilliputians were able
with their whip cords and their great
numbers to bind down CULVER. The
training of the public conscience
through law and outside of law will give
US the whlp-cord.
A notable instance of the persistence
of beliefs educated into US as against
the evidence of our senses is found in
the idea that the people today rule in
Maryland. 1t is true that if the people
are solictous for some certain relatively
minor reform they are likely after a
while to obtain it in a way which keeps
the word of promise to the ear to break
it to the hope" A striking Illustration
of this is found IN the corrupt practices
act of which have written. We have
the form without the substance. 1t re-
mains true that only by active and
virile insistence can real reform in this
respect or any other be secured by the
people. This insistence meanwhile is
regarded as sort of impertinence by
those who actively control the destinies
of the people, that is to say, the party
machine.
Our constitution says nothing Of
bosses" or organizations" or ma
Chimes" but these extra constitutions
furnish US our rulers. Direct primaries
are on their slow way to help bring
about an alienation of this condition
and put government in process of going
where it belongs, in the whole mass of
the people. The abolition of all pri-
maries by the preferential ballot-a sub
ject only commencing to be discussed
will do more. A corrupt practices act
with real teeth, instead of brittle store
molars and CANNES with India rubber
backing, would also help.
| Our attacks on bosses and machines
are slngularly Ineffective. From time
to time we indulge in spasms of virtue
and by attacking personalities, cultivate
in ourselves a conscious feeling of right
eousness, but the net result of all this,
if it have any concrete result, is the
| temporary overthrow of one boss, and
the substitution of another, the system
remaining unchanged. Abuse serves
its purposes, but does not reach the
difficulty. Like sounding the fire bell
at lIIS II may AOuoS INV pNS AZ iSSNl1
does not extinguish the fire or teach Us
how to construct fire-proof buildings.
The spasmodic attacks on bosses are as
unavailing reform agencies as New
Years resolutions. They carry with
them no fundamental change. Our
present bosses are quite as efficient as
and no more dangerous than the men
for whom we might exchange them
would speedily become. We cannot ex-
pect the substitutes to rise above the
level Of the surroundings we give them,
or to long deprecate or refuse the as
sistance of methods which will secure
them IN their turn apparent power or
self.
Furthermore, the machine leader
gives the people the sort of government
they are content to accept, and strives
not to take more of their money than
they are ready to give up without too
loud complaint. On the whole he is
not devoid of the feeling of a good
citizen, and would rather have some