Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-09
DIRECT PRIMARY CANNOT
REMEDY PRESENT EVILS,
H. J. HAGERlNAN CLAIMS


under one responsible
CHIEF. Very largely because the va
rious departments work more or
less independently of one another
and the co-ordinating, the ANAL
gamating, the harmonizing. power,
behind them all-the, governor
has littleor no power to co-ordi-
nate, or amalgamate or harmonic.
it is an anacronisrn. contradictory
altogether. ''Order is
heavens first law" is real truth,
a fundamental truth which is being
largely disregarded or ignored en-
tirely in the conduct of our state
and other government units.
People Can Be Trusted.
Those who really object to the
short ballot on the ground that it
would put too much power in one
man are not honest with Them
selves when they explain that OBJ
lection by saying that, in a repub-
lie, the people can be trusted to Sc
lect the right man for all state Of
fices. These DIRECTORS say that if
the people with the short ballot,
can choose good governor, why
can't they without the short ballot,
choose good secretaries of state.
good auditors, treasurers, land COM
missioners, attorneys general and
other state officers now made e.ec-
tive by our constitution and laws?
If they really believe this then
there is the more reason for them
to believe that the people can be
trusted to find the best man to fill
a responsible governorship as con-
templated by the short ballot COM
mittee instead of an irresponsible
as now. obtains.
There are not many big men who
would take the presidency of an
company if they were to
be bound down as to the selection
of their subordinates by quite in
dependent selections made by the
board of directors. You could not
get the best men to take the job
under such restrictions.
A great many good governors
feel this keenly after one try-out.
! know one western governor who
is a good business man, who says
that he is almost utterly helpless.
that his position is futile thing
altogether, that his hands are tied,
that he can do almost nothing.
Our former territorial govern
ment was, in many respects,
much better government for New
Mexico than our present govern
ment. If you could arrange for an
state governor to have the
powers formerly held by an APP
pointive territorial governor (and
you would, with our
representatives in the federal con-
gress have an infinitely better ar
than either our former
territorial government or the pres
ent state government. This seems
certain.
GOvernorship Playtning.
Why, some will ask, should the
people be trusted to select better
men for the governors job if
they are to have vastly increased
lppointive and executive powers
than is now the case? If the gov
can be made the play
thing of politics now, would it. not,
they ask. be infinitely more so then.
when SO much more would be at
stake?
Perhaps so, but l do not believe
It would. l believe and many be-
ieve that the voters of both parties,
when they are choosing a ticket
with but one or two names on it.
would go at that choosing in quite
4 different way from the way they
now go at it with dozen Or more
names on the ticket. Now. the idea
is to get well rounded ticket, a
nicely balanced slate. The term
slate itself indicates the idea. 1t
brings to mind a slate school con-
test in my early youth. Each kid
had AN ornamental theme to en-N
gross on his slate; neatly, SYM
tremendously, with
fancy borders and touched up here
and there with colored crayons---
dashes of lavender--to catch the
the political slate and the COVER
nor's name may be written in in
letters of pearl-but the real law
ender and rose colors be used
quite elsewhere" Do you get me?
Fault Lies With Ourselves.
I wish l could adequately con-
vey to your readers minds what ]
feel to be one basic truth about
this whole government, taxation,
revenue business. Mr.. Rodey says
The taxpayers association are pus-
SHOOTERS. He rants about the rail-
roads and manhandles the mines
and declares that direct primaries
will deliver us from the devil. He
says everybody is evading taxes
except those who haven't any
to pay on and that is
nearly true. He stresses all these
points very distressfully. But one
hing he does not stress Is this, that
way down at the bottom of it all
he fault lies largely within our
elves. We are individually not
not sincere about this mat
er of government. We do not
,ach one say and do what we know
@ be true about 1t, We let things
hide along when 1t comes to the
inch. And no fire-eating radicals.
10 dreamy idealists, no taxpayers
association, no revenue commits
ions. no legislators will succeed In
LONG much more than administer
palliatives. transitory
ind fleeing in their effects, unless
he people themselves, the weight
md mass and majority of the peo-
,le-the trustees of the governing
actually want good. con-
government management.
they will get 1t if they want it, for
t is not,a very complicated matter,
{ you go straight. But just SO
ong as we are willing to stand for
nefficiency. waste. duplication, dis
rider, inharmony and many other
esser evils in our government, for
he sake Of public politics. just SO
ong are the people furnishing the
money going to resort to every
,xpedient to avoid paying taxes,
nd just SO long, too, are most of
he best men going to keep out OF
'ublic office.
Would II be we'll for the coming
olitical conventions to carefully /.
Weigh these matters?
aCt. - 2