AMERICAN POLITICS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13830, 6 September 1910, Page 9

AMERICAN POLITICS.

I THE pSbTV PLEA.

) (rwU i or* ( TtVFn\NTISCO. Ai.ff.-t, I. and of insurant. >v parliament i= ««■ v revult has begun against t..«. i , }) . >""T '" .'; ~,„ another. A ceoiee from and lo- • • _ their t c^ i „■ Hlt]l ,,, t<) . Bummated o. - t insurants I thore ha«- Iwen on v vl( .. jn » r '»» l..rcn.ost! und of iron. '• efuS!n « * ie P " % 5l record is that of a thorough r«Antrv? "Undo J™" w.the ""L*ris r. nf fhe "*rand-nat" movement. -SToprtt'Tn to all -form and «l"{rSs'^onaofonclodhin^f. hVb no tyrant, ho declared:, the - tnfflrJente, who asserted their mdc- ' IS£ against th* will of the party SwS-thcV were the tyrants. . And , rtßoanwd that, ho wnnkl apam bo ' candidate for the Speakership. Kansas quickly showed that sho did not want "in Toh-8, too, tho Insurgents scored brilliantly. The two leaders of thp . movement. Congressmen Dolliver and Cummins, wcro enthusiastically endorsed by tho State Itepuhhcan Contention, "and right through the Contention tho Insurgents earned every motiun by a large majority. THE SPOILS SYSTEM. In essrnre this movement is a revolt atainst the spoila system, and particularly against that most degraded form of moils that hns become established in thus country—the distribution or' benefits among tho wealthy men and the I p-asping trusts in return for campaign contributions to the party in power. The tariff which" came into force this year is regarded by the Insurgents as it distribution of spoils in the form of protection araoHg tho trusts. Cannon .w regarded as the head of the machine thai, makes the spoils system effective Thereforo both tho tariff and Cannon are denounced.. " ■ Other thinpp tho Insurgents want. A rated political ■ writer, Judson C. WeEivWt saye that'their platform, if fonntilated, would include the initia- « five and referendum, "inheritance and income 'taxes, employers' liability; laws, aid a stricter control of the railroads and trusts. But their characteristic aims are these: To have all campaign contributions published as a safeguard against corrupt election deals; to pass 11 thorough-going corrupt practices law; and to put an end to political jobbery in the public service. They are tired ot being governed by a party machine that owes its power to the rich trusts, and ig never fijiiehod paying the debt. Decades probably will paas before th'e "maohino" rule is broken, but tho Inj stirgents are tryinp; to correct its most ■ flagrant abuses. The intricate and ugly landing) of -this machine are a wonder to £ny stranger in America. With ihe .litf'-of, the the grefit^corjpora.(wrns have laws passed for their benefit. .."Many of tho trusts %<sep special legis- ' Intiro agents for this purpose.. Some of ; ' ihm» paid lobbyists have- themselves •". boasted that they are responsiblo for measures- that appear on tho Statiite . Book of the "Pmted States. In tho iheir operations are * pvon. more daring. Take, for instance, the control of the Southern Pacific Railreadjorrr tho government of California. Up to" four yo.irs ago it was the,custom of'thf political agent of the railroad , company—a man admittedly employed hv the company—to do his work openly '<n the floor of the Legislature. He Would go to one after another of the -nembers, and instruct them how to vote.

A REMARKABLE SYSTEM. I have heard, a former Assembly-man o? California tell of the heat of disgust thnt came upon him when first the railroad agent, Walter Parker, of Los Angeles, caitio and sat by him in the Ixfpslatire Chamber and Paid, "Vote .-for this. It's ono.of our Bills," This particular Assembly-man was one of the fetv—a vefy meagre minority—that refn?«l to take orders from Parker. Tho £re*fc majority did his bidding on ttvery oeraxtan. It is commonly said ihat th» Southern Pacific-Company owm the, Government, of California and the Ceigrii n.s well, and the statement js *Mt.greatly obliterated.. Its control is; iB«le by tho power of. the '•machine." Tltit is whit the Insurgents are fighting—the machine that has cor l nigted so many of the great cities of Aimnc'i, tlie machine tt'u't givr-s tho nch comnifirrial corporations a pullover ■'- •■ tl* Legislatures of -tha States i»nd tho , .nation. -- A BRIBE REFUSED. ■ Thp fijjlit is hitter. The* machine is tlmnnifchly aroused to its peril. It :a K«ng to extreme lengths in attacking ;. the j reputations oi Insurgents, and in to »yin men of influence over. Jyjwal of its operations is its attempt •to tmy the support of one of the strongest lifeurger.t papers in Cali- . fornix, the -Ri/erodo Press. ,, A friend of the editor of this paper received a ■ letter, signed by the campaign manrt- • B« of Alfien Anderson, the "machineV fSHididato for the Governorship of the Mate. The iotter, which haa been published, asks, in so ninny words, that an effort be made to bribe the editor,'K. r - Clark, to support Andeison. It *ays: --flo s0 kind as to interview Mr ' iark. and find .->ut from him what the r*rviee amid be obtained for. We deto have his paper strongly support f -\"derson for Governor. It is abSo.uWy essential thnt we obtain this for whioh wo are willim; «• P-γ . . . We behove that you will o* able to make a proper business deal **J Mr Clark." 'iir Clark did not happen to ho open ror.tha kind .if business. He is still !*>&&% ihf rauso of the Insurgent r-an-"date for thi' CI.-Aernorship that fannidato, by the v.r.y. i ? Hiram Johnson, jne lawyer who about flit' cun-UtM-M of Abe Rm,f. prmeo of the San *«HC_aco "gralier*/ , Johnson ha'; niily-pne plank to his platform—to end • '{j e .£emhern IViric Railroad's rule H s ,w State of f.Mi!-,rnia. • l»e national (Juvernment is fri'Jittoo. Ttn Pint bine vf, Wnshinj:- -™ n 's in (JaTiger of being spiked by a number <v enerpetV men, who V*A n -° W flection to Congress; «na tfi.? machine ; - in.! particular'as to »ie mpav.irts it tt> keep those men 0 »t oi the nay. Here is an instance: DR.StI»K!{ VTK TACTICS. The Insurironi t.uuiidato tor Con-ress ±.*™ -i the taliiomia <lMr\vU is «'H!am Kent, j man known trnrn San ."ancuro to W.IMI n-t,.n as a ftlontor. linii.-it :vs (iayli-ht. A few jears ago h,» ;l votunn'movoimnt :n bmk.' U.f- c(irnij;t n-ac-hine _~,,1 10 ( iij.i lolK v st Counciln'en. ami tlierii t<. rotivc. MM started an t-ri of cleaner «overnW ,en he returned to his old t«? e -i F ! ll:,or ' |ia - His sinteritv is at*»ied by the tact that, the ugh he is

a nnllioiia ro with most of bis wealth in lam!, he is str.wiply advocating a progressive ti:x on incrt'iios and a land tax Ft happened about six months ago that hi .i!:oiit of" the FodKrnl ie[,oi-tod t) his rhief at \V:..shin"ton that a <:(tt!e finijjnny oj whicli Kent is pre-idr-nt had ffiicod in some public l:..rids■■■:• f-riniinal art. Nothin" was p,ibl ; s!i"d about thi-, at the tur.e* but :-is! ««-■(■!: the report wius f»i V( , n tf) t])C l-rp.-<s. it fluid not have come out at. .i mor.> opt.orritnc lime to damage Kent s '-andidafv. Ihe primary election at w'liii-li his c"r;tost wit'li tlie machine rarul'datt , will bo decided is to he. held on August Kith, and lie- will havo no opportunity Leforo that time o' Jiis name. It can hardly be d:uibfd ibat t!'o rhar<re s aro inspired by jjolittcs. And, in -.nil- oi the fact that Kent has riven to the nation a It'fiMtiiii! tract oi natural torc.-t near >an l''i - an"i.sro, worth many times as nucli us t'i'i' fJovornment land ho is i.cfu,--o:l of ;:rabbms. some of the •■•mud nil sf.ick."

In .-.pit'- oi :ill the machine can do, it. r-<'fin;i nert lin th-.i 1 : tbp Insurgent mo'voisicnt xviil mike a c;roiit advance throiiKliout tli'. "\\ i\st this year, and posmKlv in tfie Kast alo. ilio future of tlio nioveniont doppiids largely dii one rr.nn— Theodriro Uoosevolt. ■ X<«t that Roosevelt could absolutely overthrow it soenis to have Rrown too \\]<X lor tint. Rut v declares hinripolt' with the Insurgents, bo will nroh.'iWy carry thf* stmnyth of *lio ?{ennlilirtn "Party ovor tn tli" insmpent rriiso, and tho old party will take on a ricu , Otherwise.' it seems, the Insurgiuits will civrv on their from the left wine. A third party is a possibility of the frturo, but not of tin present.