The midland journal., 1917-01-26
Article v.

Journal
Before dismissing the subject of
electoral corruption some further
observations remain to be made. AS
in later letters will be pointed out,
misuse of power in connection with
elections is incident to multiplicity
of officers elected and the rewards to
be gained from Office holding. Never
theless the true source of the major
corruption in elections is to be found
in the great advantages to be Sc
cured to particular persons or in
terests 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
a 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 in
telligent understanding of social
remedies therefore and a thorough
national and state overhauling. IT,
as it is claimed, single individual
contributed 100000 to the cam
paign in the recent presidential
election, we may know that that in
dlvidual expected to multiply his in
vestment through control of public
/ favors, and if, as Senator Owen indi-
Gates, one man collected and dis
bursed outside of campaign com
mittees, $6,000,000, we may form a
slight conception Of the tremendous
interests concerned in corrupting the
public conscience. Bread and cir
cuses'" was the cry of the corrupted
citizenship of Rome as it was being
robbed of the public lands and
wealth. Graft and greenbacks" i
our cry today as we lose to a few our
vast natural resources.
It is not part, however, of my pur-
pose to discuss now at least these
gigantic social questions almost
battling answer. 1t will suffice for
present purposes to remember that
the Lilliputians were able with their
whip-cords and their great mum berf
to bind down Gulliver. The train
ing of the public conscience through
law and outside of law will give Ii,
the whip-cord.
A notable instance of the per
sistence of beliefs educated into u.
as against the evidence of our senses
s found in the idea that the people
today rule in Maryland. 1t is true
that if the people are solicitous fol
certain relatively minor reform they
are likely after while to obtain il
in way which keeps the word OF
promise to the ear to break it to the
rope" A striking illustration oil
his is found in the corrupt practices
ct OF which I have written. We
have the form without the substance
It remains true that only by active
and virile insistence can real re,
form in this respect or any other be
secured by the people. This III
sistence meanwhile is regarded as a
iort of impertinence by those who
actively control the destinies of the
people, that is to say, the party ma,
chine.
Our constitution says nothing OF
"bosses" or organizations" or ma.
chimes" but these extra constitution.
al institutions furnish us our rulers
Direct primaries are on their slow
way to help bring about an allevi.
alton of this condition and put gov
ernment 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
subject only commencing to be dis
cussed-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 ma
chimes are singularly ineffective.
From time to time we indulge in
spasms of virtue and by attacking
personalities, cultivate in ourselves
conscious feeling of righteousness,
but the net result of all this, If 1t
have any concrete result, is the
temporary overthrow Of one sboss,