The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-13
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY Z. HOUSE
lFron Philadelphia PsbIic Ledssr.)

Somewhere yesterday in the course
OF our casual and extraneous reading
We ran across the lamentations of a
gentleman who had devoted some six
thousand words to depIoring the fact
that the people had nothing to do with
the selection of the gentlemen who
have recently become their candidates
for president. He intimated-rather
plainly, it seemed to us-that the bust
ness of government in this country
largely is in the hapds of gentlemen
who make a speciality of that sort OF
thing
1t was old stuff; and We were on the
point of yawning behind the friendly
covert Of a disengaged hand. And
then it occurred to us that since the
gentleman is entertained by pretty
nearly everybody who has never given
the subject sufficient thought o-ex-
press competent>opinion. here. lying
fahow at hand. was opportunity to file
minority report.
The report is hereby filed. We offer
no motion for it adoption. We don't
care whether it is adopted or not. For
the method by which the government
of this country Is conducted is as I'M
alterable as the laws of the Medes and
the Persians. Men will come and men
Will go; but those who make a spe-
eiaity of politics will continue to run
It; and the character of the men en-
gagged in the work will be the meas
ure of the honesty and efficiency
with which it is conducted
Having conceded the. geRtleman's
premise we put a questions:
Would he be willing to turn tthe
country over to the people, just as it
stands, and let them run it without
let or hindrance, advice or direction ?
As citizen who agrees with his
do so?
Frankly. we should not We can
mink OF no greater calamity than that
which would befan this country were
the business of running it turned over
to the people who own it.
II the people were running the coun-
| try, the proba bilities are thatln cleo
ton would be held this year. Likely
| they would have forgotten to call an
election. Had they remembered to do so
there would be no agreement as to the
| GATE on which it should be held. and
no arrangement would have been
! made to accommodate the voters who
wished to express their convictions at
the polls.
1t Is entirely possible that no bal
lots would have been provided. Had
the people been able to agree lIpon
the question of having ballots printed,
the names of half the candidates prob
ably would have been left off
II the people were running their
country we'd have three or four hun
dred candidates for president. We
might have = thousand candidates
provided of course, that anybody had
taken the trouble to establish the fact
this is election year.
.,o GSveT mn n by the politicians moves
Government by the people would
never get under way.
Every man who goes to the polls
votes at the dictation of a boss
He subscribes- to a declaration OF
political principles framed by a certain
set of bosses and he votes for a can
didate picked by a set of bosses.
A voter can pick his boss. That lets
him out.
We recall one great movement
which cracked an impregnable po-
litIcal machine on the theory that II
was going to put state back into the
handE of its original owners. the peo-
pie. IT was a beautiful dream and had
enlisted the enthusiasm of many OF the
earnest and all of the soulful. And
they had junked machine that was
deemed impreEnable.
Three or four days before the date
set by the state convention one of the
most prominent and active of the
earnest, soulful band who had set
about it to redeem a state from the
miasma of machine politics dropped
into an editorial room frequented by
the writer.
It was a year of shifting sands in
politics. A great upheaVa1 was under
way Grave issues confronted the citi-
zenry.
And what" we finally asked the
active exponent of the movement after
we had 'kidded" him for a time, ARE
the people likely to say upon these
important questions that confront us %
and we named certain of the burning
issues.
We'll" he said. this is confidential.
of course. but have their platform
in my pocket now and TIL let you read
it." He produced the document.
It had been written by three Of the
leaders Of the great movement in a