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Show AMERICAN fGRM Or GOVERNMENT. Power of the Ballot Citizens Equal to Tactics of Political Parties Reform Before Be-fore Election Broken Pledges After-Party After-Party Fetish No Guarantee for Idea! Government Gov-ernment A Third Party on the Same Level "Stop Thief" Emblazoned on Party Banners. . I (Wrinen iVr The 1 ntcrmountain Catholic) t Probably no i' ;ti u i-c i' lhe American system of I pncnmi'.'iit appeals re strongly To the ordiuary man than that which gives him a voice in iho management man-agement of the iulilie business. The government Mits ereate! hy llie people and exists primarily for iheir benefit. .No one. would consider a reversion to a nionarchial form to take the plaeo of the rcpub-Jiean rcpub-Jiean form as it exists in America today; no true ' American would even suggest the bestowal of su- )reine political power t!ion one man to ho transmitted trans-mitted hy inheritance. We very much prefer to choose our representatives from time 1o time, and each citizen is equal lo anolher on the days wo choose them. The hallo! is open to the most lium-Mc. lium-Mc. and lhe vote of the millionaire is worth no more j than the pauper's. j It i but natural that ihere .should he a very much larger numher of ju1 common people in the country than wealthy ones, and alo that the vealthy one.- should hohl stead fa-lly to lhe system which made them so. The business of the muck raker has been to point out some of the defects in the system, and the people, realizing their own responsibility re-sponsibility in permitting conditions to exist which, 1o say the least, are not' beneficial to the common welfare, have cried out for reform. With rcmavk-idde rcmavk-idde avidity the leader of the leading political parlies par-lies take up the cry, and point with pride to their own records on the subject requiring attention and view wilh alan . lhe position taken hy the other parly. The r ..t "s that both parties adopt platforms plat-forms pledg? ' ' le-ired reforms and through their new-jiap' . i speakers lenoimee the opposition oppo-sition and fun.i.-h - ' usible reasons why their parry ticket should hi ei'. od and the other defeated. Everywhere 'he icoplo are told how they ought Id vote to put this r that princinl into effect, how 1 1 icy ought t govern themselves and not be governed gov-erned hy the mob and ortice seekers of the opposition. opposi-tion. Appeals have been made to party patriotism upon no more reasonable plea than to "turn the rascals ras-cals out" hv putting in a new set. hut after election elec-tion and the successful candidates arc installed, there is no reform. Public ulility franchises are given away ;'ust as in previous administrations, ami the graft goes merrily on. wilh the defeated party still pointing the finger of scorn at the bungling bung-ling and laundering hy the administration in power and -till -dionting reform wilh the hope of bieng the ulumhrer after the next election. Ev r.vbody favors reform. Thieves must be pie-veni'-d from getting their hands upon the public irea-ury and public franchise grafters must not corrupt the representatives, of the people in ofKce. Indeed, all bad practices must be stopped. Common Com-mon honesty must be given a trial. These things lhe people wanl. They have the power of getting tin in. but how 1 exert that power it is difficult to say. The parly fetich offers small encouragement to the so.-koy after the ideal in government. The poo-' pie have shown wonderful ability in putting parti- , sau "rejudice aside, but all that Is left under the parly sysiem is to vote for the enemy. A ihird party movement offers quiu- as Utile en-curagemenr en-curagemenr as J the older organizations in se- i curing freedom from the pernicious influence of the grafter. The rotionnc-s of San Francisco government govern-ment reached it- climax under a third party, and Salt Lake's affairs are none too wisely administered under a third party. The party organizat ions have outlived their uscfuliu ss. the system which makes them necessary is a failure, and reform will not come as long a- iho people are hoodwinked hy protestations pro-testations of righteousness coining from corrupt po-liii'eal po-liii'eal organizations. Conservative reformation ' sec ms impossible. The people shout "Stop thief!" when some sneak snatches a purse, and thus at- I iril,.t attention 1 lhe fleeing miscreant. In 1 he i larger affairs-of lhe public the same cry is always i' miT-idei-cd a parly cry of the opposition, intended to accomplish lhe defeat of candidates aspiring ro election. That is. unless the grand jury returned , iudiotnic-.its against the eorruptionists. I What svsiem of choosing public officers will -row out of the necessity for i change from present I methods time idoiie can ti-11. Covernment of the j people bv a 'parly and for a parly must perish be fore anv sane method can be inaugurated which wiil redound to the benefit of all. |