the boss and the machine-第26章
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required to make under oath a detailed statement of their
expenses in both primary and general elections。 The various
committees; also; must make detailed reports of the funds they
handle; the amount; the contributors; and the expenditures。
Corporations are forbidden to contribute; and the amount that
candidates themselves may give is limited in many States。 These
exactions are reinforced by stringent laws against bribery。
Persons found guilty of either receiving or soliciting a bribe
are generally disfranchised or declared ineligible for public
office for a term of years。 Illinois; for the second offense;
forever disfranchises。
It is not surprising that these restrictions have led the State
to face the question whether it should not itself bear some of
the expenses of the campaign。 It has; of course; already assumed
an enormous burden formerly borne entirely by the party。 The cost
of primary and general elections nowadays is tremendous。 A few
Western States print a campaign pamphlet and distribute it to
every voter。 The pamphlet contains usually the photographs of the
candidates; a brief biography; and a statement of principles。
These are the principal encroachments made by the Government upon
the autonomy of the party。 The details are endless。 The election
laws of New York fill 330 printed pages。 It is little wonder that
American parties are beginning to study the organization of
European parties; such as the labor parties and the social
democratic parties; which have enlisted a rather fervent party
fealty。 These are propagandist parties and require to be active
all the year round。 So they demand annual dues of their members
and have permanent salaried officials and official party organs。
Such a permanent organization was suggested for the National
Progressive party。 But the early disintegration of the party made
impossible what would have been an interesting experiment。 After
the election of 1916; Governor Whitman of New York suggested that
the Republican party choose a manager and pay him 10;000 a year
and have a lien on all his time and energy。 The plan was widely
discussed and its severest critics were the politicians who would
suffer from it。 The wide…spread comment with which it was
received revealed the change that has come over the popular idea
of a political party since the State began forty years ago to
bring the party under its control。
But flexibility is absolutely essential to a party system that
adequately serves a growing democracy。 And under a two…party
system; as ours is probably bound to remain; the independent
voter usually holds the balance of power。 He may be merely a
disgruntled voter seeking for revenge; or an overpleased voter
seeking to maintain a profitable status quo; or he may belong to
that class of super…citizens from which mugwumps arise。 In any
case; the majorities at elections are usually determined by him。
And party orthodoxy made by the State is almost as distasteful to
him as the rigor of the boss。 He relishes neither the one nor the
other。
In the larger cities the citizens' tickets and fusion movements
are types of independent activities。 In some cities they are
merely temporary associations; formed for a single; thorough
housecleaning。 The Philadelphia Committee of One Hundred; which
was organized in 1880 to fight the Gas Ring; is an example。 It
issued a Declaration of Principles; demanding the promotion of
public service rather than private greed; and the prosecution of
〃those who have been guilty of election frauds; maladministration
of office; or misappropriation of public funds。〃 Announcing that
it would endorse only candidates who signed this declaration; the
committee supported the Democratic candidates; and nominated for
Receiver of Taxes a candidate of its own; who became also the
Democratic nominee when the regular Democratic candidate
withdrew。 Philadelphia was overwhelmingly Republican。 But the
committee's aid was powerful enough to elect the Democratic
candidate for mayor by 6000 majority and the independent
candidate for Receiver of Taxes by 20;000。 This gave the
Committee access to the records of the doings of the Gas Ring。 In
1884; however; the candidate which it endorsed was defeated; and
it disbanded。
Similar in experience was the famous New York Committee of
Seventy; organized in 1894 after Dr。 Parkhurst's lurid
disclosures of police connivance with every degrading vice。 A
call was issued by thirty…three well…known citizens for a
non…partizan mass meeting; and at this meeting a committee of
seventy was appointed 〃with full power to confer with other
anti…Tammany organizations; and to take such actions as may be
necessary to further the objects of this meeting as set forth in
the call therefor; and the address adopted by this meeting。〃 The
committee adopted a platform; appointed an executive and a
finance committee; and nominated a full ticket; distributing the
candidates among both parties。 All other anti…Tammany
organizations endorsed this ticket; and it was elected by large
majorities。 The committee dissolved after having secured certain
charter amendments for the city and seeing its roster of officers
inaugurated。
The Municipal Voters' League of Chicago is an important example
of the permanent type of citizens' organization。 The league is
composed of voters in every ward; who; acting through committees
and alert officers; scrutinize every candidate for city office
from the Mayor down。 It does not aim to nominate a ticket of its
own; but to exercise such vigilance; enforced by so effective an
organization and such wide…reaching publicity; that the various
parties will; of their own volition; nominate men whom the league
can endorse。 By thus putting on the hydraulic pressure of
organized public opinion; it has had a considerable influence on
the parties and a very stimulating effect on the citizenry。
Finally; there has developed in recent years the fusion movement;
whereby the opponents of boss rule in all parties unite and back
an independent or municipal ticket。 The election of Mayor Mitchel
of New York in 1913 was thus accomplished。 In Milwaukee; a fusion
has been successful against the Socialists。 And in many lesser
cities this has brought at least temporary relief from the
oppression of the local oligarchy。
CHAPTER XI。 THE EXPERT AT LAST
The administrative weakness of a democracy; namely; the tendency
towards a government by job…hunters; was disclosed even in the
early days of the United States; when the official machinery was
simple and the number of offices few。 Washington at once foresaw
both the difficulties and the duties that the appointing power
imposed。 Soon after his inauguration he wrote to Rutledge: 〃I
anticipate that one of the most difficult and delicate parts of
the duty of any office will be that which relates to nominations
for appointments。〃 And he was most scrupulous and painstaking in
his appointments。 Fitness for duty was paramount with him; though
he recognized geographical necessity and distributed the offices
with that precision which characterized all his acts。
John Adams made very few appointments。 After his term had
expired; he wrote: 〃Washington appointed a multitude of Democrats
and Jacobins of the deepest die。 I have been more cautious in
this respect。〃
The test of partizan loyalty; however; was not applied generally
until after the election of Jefferson。 The ludicrous
apprehensions of the Federalists as to what would follow upon his
election were not allayed by his declared intentions。 〃I have
given;〃 he wrote to Monroe; 〃and will give only to Republicans
under existing circumstances。〃 Jefferson was too good a
politician to overlook his opportunity to annihilate the
Federalists。 He hoped to absorb them in his own party; 〃to unite
the names of Federalists and Republicans。〃 Moderate Federalists;
who possessed sufficient gifts of grace for conversion; he
sedulously nursed。 But he removed all officers for whose removal
any special reason could be discovered。 The 〃midnight
appointments〃 of John Adams he refused to acknowledge; and he
paid no heed to John Marshall's dicta in Marbury versus