The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??, 1959-03-26
Denoc:ruey...

ell years dSo LiiC commission Oii
the Freedom of the Press recon-
mended the establishment of a
continuing independent agency,
privately financed, to appraise
and report periodically on the
performance of the media. Every
thing that has happened since,
and especially the use Of the most
marvellous electronic methods of
communication for the communi-
cation of the most insignificant
material, makes the adoption of
this recommendation more urgent
every day.
If we were we'll educated and
well informed, could we make
ourselves felt in the realm of po
litical action? In the Republic as
I have described it every act of
assent on the part of the govern
ed is a product of learning. Could
we learn by doing in politics? Or
would the archaic aspects of our
governmental structure and the
vast bureaucratic machine that
goes creaking on, following the
right procedure instead of seek
ing the right result, prevent us
from using our newly won edu-
cation and information as active,
deciding, responsible citizens?
Today the dialogue is impeded
by obsolescent practices and in
stitutions from the long ballot to
the presidential primary, from
the electoral college to the or
ganization of cities, counties, and
states. In too frequent elections
unknown persons by the hun
dreds running for significant Of
fees, and numerous improper
questions, like the dozens SUBJ
mitted at every California cleo
ton, are presented to the cleo
torate. This is not democracy, but
a pervesion of it. The political
anatomy is full of vermiform ap-
pendices, many of them, like Ark
ansas, inflamed.
Some of these obsolescent prac-
tees stop the dialogue in its
tracks, like the failure of the
FEC and Congress to develop
any concept of the public inter
est, convenience and necessity.
Some of them distort the dialogue
by throwing false weights into
it, as the electoral college gives
a false weight to the large states
and the laws on campaign eX-
penditures give money an over
whelmingly false weight in cleo
tions. One thing is certain, and
that is that if our hopes of de-
mocracy are to be realized, the
next generation is in for a job of
institutional remodeling the like
Of which has not been seen since
the Founding Fathers.
Well, suppose we got this re-
modelling done. Could we then
turn ourselves into active, re
sponsible, participating citizens?
Wouldn't the bureaucracy though
better, and administering better
laws, still have us by the throat?
The answer depends partly on
our capacity for political inven-
ton, which in 1887 was quite
large, and partly on what partici-
patton means. If we can be
equipped for the dialogue and
then invent the means by which
the bureaucracy can hear it and
be made responsible to it, we
shall have come long way from
where we are now in relation,
for example, to the State Depart
ment and the Atomic Energy
Commission. Then political par
ticipation would mean not only
what it too often means exclu-
sively now, the ballot, but also
participation in the dialogue
about the ends and means of the
political society We would be
community learning together, and
the bureaucracy would be learn
ing, too.
The notion that the sole con-
Germ of a free society is the linn
itation of governmental authority