throughout the States. The moment that the people take it upon themselves to elect heads of departments and officials other than the executive and members of the legislative body, they release the executive and legislative body from full responsibility for the quality of public service. It has been done to some extent in all of the States and was the first fatal step in merging the State governments, from republics, as guaranteed by the Constitution, toward democracies, resulting in useless expenditures, excessive legislation and chaotic administration.
How long do you think this government would have lasted if the Constitution had provided for the election of the judges of the Federal courts, or for the election of members of the Cabinet who serve as heads of departments?
That departure and experiment is responsible for all forms of the long ballot instead of the short ballot provided for by the Constitution and for which we are now clamoring, while at the same time making it impossible; responsible for the expenditure of billions of dollars in money, and responsible for our having now aid having had since the time of our departure from the constitutional plan much less competent men in the public service than if we had adhered to the standard form and permitted the executive and
