Unpopular government in the United StatesKales, Albert Martin
History
Unpopular government in the United States
Kales, Albert Martin
United States -- Politics and government
satisfactory and who cannot also be placed upon an independent ticket
will discourage the putting in the field of any independent ticket. No
harm will be done to the extra-legal government by politocrats if the
network of governmental bodies becomes very complex, or if the details
of carrying out provisions of election laws become so difficult to
understand that the whole machinery of elections must be directed by a
few experts.
But the chief care of the wise politocrat will not be to acquire a
selfish political philosophy or a selfish program for governmental
legislation. Of paramount importance is the organizing, recruiting,
training, feeding, and caring for the feudal army of directors and
advisers to the politically ignorant voter and the rewarding of the
officers and lesser leaders of that army according to their position.
So far as possible, of course, the district and precinct workers will
be given places upon the public pay-rolls and so fed and clothed from
the public treasury. In return for what they receive from the public
they will do the minimum amount of work for the public and the maximum
amount for the organization. Places on the pay-rolls of private
corporations may also be at the disposal of the leaders among the
politocrats. In a city of any size much small graft connected with the
issuing of licenses of all sorts, the selling of liquor, the business
of vice, and the activities of the underworld may be picked up by the
privates and captains in the organization. The lesser politocrats
will take the higher salaried positions and fee offices. It will not
interfere with their obtaining these places that they must submit to an
election. The work of the office will be done by a chief deputy paid
out of the public treasury. The holder of the office will, therefore,
be enabled to spend his entire time conducting the business of advising
and directing the politically ignorant voter whom to vote for. The
larger graft connected with the protection of the business of vice
and the activities of the underworld will go to those who are still
higher up among the politocrats. This, however, is a dirty and risky
mode of reward and the protection which can be given has its limits.
Many politocrats, and among them the most powerful, will not touch
it personally. In certain districts men of excellent social standing
and mental attainments can be used to advantage by the extra-legal
government. In most instances material of this sort can be drawn from
among lawyers. The reward for those who are constant and effective in
their service will be a place in the corporation counsel’s office or
the state’s attorney’s office, and finally a place upon the bench. The
larger graft of public contracts is reserved for the overlords of the
feudal organization. But even this the great leaders will not touch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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