The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-08-05


bending formula for salvation. poll
teal or otherwise. l am not one OF
those who believe that any particular
scheme Of governmental reform can
be conceived sufficiently effective to
cure by itself troubles which have
been very long in growing up. Ger
tairly | do not believe that direct
primaries will cure our present dit
ficultics. Perhaps tho short ballot
will not do II either out l believe that
1t Is more likely to do so and to show
us the way Out OF many OF our pre-
sent difficulties than any other mea-
sure yet proposed.
why?
This IL the main cason why. Be-
cauge no man.. however good a man
he may be can be expected 10 man
age a big business successfully unless
he has means and power TO enforce
authority. No executive officer can
actually act AZ an executive officer II
he hasn't the xherewithal to execute.
to carry out, 10 properly administer
the job he In selected to manage.
There Is nothing or, rather, there
should be little or nothing about man
aging the afiairs OF a state. u city a
county or Hny other government unit
VitSily different as 90 essentials from
the management OF M. large unit OF
~endeavor. Theoretically government
Is a convenience. n voluntary substl-
tute through united action Tor doing
through a central organization by
delegated powers. : things that the
people might do for themselves but
beiieve can be done better otherwise.
Now ali these things taken together
In this state amount 10 Il COMPARE
lively small business; hat is to say.
to Il business small in comparison TO
many big businesses carried on by
individuals and corporations. But II
is u vitaily important business to the
people aud should be carried on at
least as efficiently as the most eff
Client private business. II is q continu-
ing, n n-ever-endmg business, ;here IL
every reason why it should DO carried
on more efficiently than, any other
sort Of business, Is that not true?
And how Is II generally carried
onf BY no mea as efficiently ss
most well conducted private business
es. And why? Largely because It
has no really responsible head. Large
~ because the various departments
OF tue business are o coOdinated
under one responsible chief. Very
largely because the various depart
meats work more or less independ-
entity OF one another and the cocrdin-
ating. the amalgamating, the har-
monIzing power, behind them all
the goVernor=has little or. no power
to coordinate. OF. R~malgamate or har.
monte. IL Is an anacronism, a con-
Trajectory arrangement altogether.
Order is heavens first law" Is IL
real truth, fundamental truth which
is being largely disregarded or ig-
nored entirely In the conduct Of our
afnln and nfhaR HAuANnWnAra alNlga
What Short naliot Does.
Those who really object to the
short ballot on the ground that II
would put too much power In n
man are not honest with themselves
when they explain that objection by
saying that. In u republic. the people
can be trusted 10 select the right men
for all state offices. These DIRECTORS
say that II the people. with the short
ballot. can choose a good governor
why cant they. without the short
ballot, choose good secretaries OF
state. good auditors, t~reasurcrs, land
comm iHsionern. attorneys general
aud other state Officers now made
elective by our conatitution and laws?
II they really believe this then there
is the more reason for them TO be-
lievO that the people can be trusted
~ hhNN A0 49, AAAoh ~ ~ u NNNRVnN"
ible g~overnorship AZ contemplated by
the short ballot committee instead OF
an irresponsible governorship, as now
obtains.
There are not many big men who
would take the presidency OF an mn
portant company II they were TO be
bound down Us to the selection OF
their sub0rdinates by quite independ-
ent selections made by the board OF
directors. You could not get the best
men to take the job under such re-
Htrictions.
A great many good governors feel
this keeKiy after one try-out. know
one western governor who IL a good
business man, who says that no 10 al
most utterly helplees. that his POSI-
ton Is a futile thing altogether, that
hir hands are tied, that he can do all
most nothing.
Our former tafsitorlat government