esults of its work in every phase of our political life--in municipal,
state and national affairs. We encounter its malign influence every time
an effort is made to secure any adequate regulation of railways, to
protect the people against the extortion of the trusts, or to make the
great privileged industries of the country bear their just share of
taxation. But the chief concern of those in whose interest the party
machine is run is to defeat any popular attack on those features of the
system which are the real source of the great power which the minority
is able to exert. Try, for example, to secure a constitutional amendment
providing for the direct election of United States senators, the
adoption of the initiative and the referendum, a direct primary scheme,
a measure depriving a city council of the power to enrich private
corporations by giving away valuable franchises, or any provision
intended to give the people an effective control over their so-called
public servants, and we find that nothing less than an overwhelming
public sentiment and sustained social effort is able to make any headway
against the small but powerfully entrenched minority.

Many changes will be required before efficient democratic government can
exist. The greatest and most pressing need at the present time, however,
is for real publicity, which is the only means of making public opinion
effective as an instrument of social control. The movement toward
publicity has been in direct proportion to the growth of democracy.
Formerly the masses were not regarded by the ruling class as having any
capacity for political affairs, or right to criticise governmental
policies and methods. With the acceptance of the idea of popular
sovereignty, however, the right of the people to be kept informed
concerning the management of governmental business received recognition;
but practice has lagged far behind theory.

Much would be gained for good government by extending publicity to the
relations existing between public officials and private business
interests. This would discourage the corrupt alliance which now too
often exists between unscrupulous politicians and corporate wealth. The
public have a right and ought to know to what extent individuals and
corporations have contributed money for the purpose of carrying
elections. The time has come when the political party should be
generally recognized and dealt with as a public agency--as an essential
part or