The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-20

should weaken the party adhering thereto.
 The condition of popular unrest and the determination of patriotic voterx Tn all walks of life to cure the scandal ous situation which has developed through the failure of Congress to meet live issues fearlessIy and with common sense requires a complete change in Organiz ion of the political parties. They must be restored to the people. This means that the national committees and hereditary masters of the party must be prepared to trust all party members to frame party is sues or meet defeat. It further rs- qui~es on the part of the citizen, upon whom on ultimate analysis, rests without question the absolute respon- sibility for most Of political evils, a recognition of the fact that govern mental problems intimately relate themselves to the life of each indi- vidual, and that if we are to obtain the fullest benefits from our govern ment, every man has to meet his po- lidcal responsibilities We can no longer have government by default of the governed.
 The Office Seekers.
 The remedy for this condition is comp paratively simple if those in po- HticaI control will but recognize the situation and take the proper meas ures to cure it. Heretofore the pol iticians have devoted them selves to obtaining office. The formation of party platform has been the incidental part of any national convention. IL is that situation which I would suggest changing, and to effectuate the same on practical lines, which my expert ence has proven entirely feasible, I suggest that the national committee of each party call a national conference of the members of it's party about three months prior to the national nominating convention, to adopt the party platform. The delegates to this convention should be about dou- ble the number of those attending a national convention and in addition thereto certain delegates at large might be provided for. Care should be exercised to assure the selection of men and women representative of the broadest and highest thought in the party from each locality. District organizations should be instructed to disregard to a large degree claims for designation based on past party activity, choosing generally the type of citizen selected for constitutional conventioQs with special recognition of common sense industrial heads. and of laborers and farmers of ca pacity. The conference should be planned to last five or six days and to do hard work by way of discussion of national questions and determtna- ton of party policies. Three sessions could be held daily supplemented by committee meetings and small gath erings on special matters A platform committee should be elected by the body of delegates as should the gen. era1 officers Of the conference.
 As preliminary to the work of the conference, and to insure the plat form being the product of well con- sidered action, the national commit tee of each party might well appoint groups of experts to study and pre- sent reports on questions as to which the expert is a necessary guide. These experts would be a force in assuring sound and scientific conclusions and could. pending the presentment of re- ports, arrange for interim discussions and study of questions in various communities, which work if given proper publicity would be of great national value
 Among questions that might be considered are: International rela- tions, diplomatic service, centraliza- tion of federal power, government ownership and control, tariff, trusts and price regulation, liquor question, suffrage, national health protection extension of federal influence on edu- cation uniformity of state laws, taxa tion, army and navy, universal train ing, foreign trade, relations of capital