AMERICAN REFORM

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 15 July 1910, Page 5

AMERICAN REFORM

MR-. ROOSEVELT'S SUPPORT. — By Telegraph-Press Association—Copyright (Etc. July l'i, 10.10 p.m.) New York, July 14. Mr. Roosevelt's latest utterances arc interpreted as seeking to secure the adoption of Mr. Hughes's policy of direct nominations at primary elections. MR. HUGHES'S SUCCESSOR. New York, July 13. It is reported that President Taft is urging Mr. W. Loelj, Secretary to the President, to become a candidate for the Governorship of Now York State, in succession to Mr. C. E. Hughes, recently appointed to the Supreme Court 'Bench. Mr. Loeb's acquiescence in the suggestion is considered doubtful. A SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT. There have been many indications lately .that Mr. Roosevelt's vigorous denunciations of the party machines, and the corruption their working -brings forth, have had a deep and abiding effect upon public opinion in America. The recent collapse of Cannonism in the House of Representatives, and the breakdown of the old autocracy of Mr. Aldrich in the Senate, are significant of the growth of new ideas in American public life. It has to bo borne in mind that in the United States there is no such sharp division between national and local government politics as exists in British communities. Both are dominated by the party organisations, and no election to a public body is regarded with indifference by the party managers. Evidence of a reforming spirit in American municipal affairs cannot, therefore, be dissociated from politics proper, Most of the previous efforts at. reform 1 have failed, because tliey have not aimed at killing the "machine," but merely at substituting the control of one party for that of the other. As "The Times remarked in a recent artiole, it has simply been a case of Beelzebub casting out Satan. Recently there have sprung up a number of reform movements which aim at getting behind the party organisations altogether. One of these is the "direct primaries" system, described in Tiie Dominion. Under this it is proposed tlint whereas party candidates are now selected by the party machines, they should be in future selected by the direct mass of the party. Tho system is now in force in many of the Western States, and Governor Hughes has been fighting hard for it .in New York. His Bill was discarded by the State Legislature, and a new and innocuous one, drafted by the party "bosses" in concert, was passed. This Mr. Hughes vetoed, and then convened a special session of the Legislature, to which he again submitted his original Bill.. It was thrown out about ten days ago.