Page:Back to the Republic.djvu/84

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Back to the Republic

office, should have the power to designate who the public–service employes should be. Therefore the people should exercise the greatest care in selecting those who shall have the appointive power.

In our great industrial institutions it does not follow that a change of administration is followed by a wholesale dismissal of the employes of those institutions. On the contrary, comparatively few changes occur. It is interesting to note how closely the republic corresponds in operation to the corporation. In a corporation there are an executive and a board of directors, who, working together, have all power of appointment, all power of making regulations and all power of financing.

The great proportion of our ablest men during recent years have entered the business world, where they have been more or less indifferent to the affairs of government. This great crisis, however, has aroused them to splendid coöperation, and they are now thinking about patriotism and public service.

I would like to ask the business men what would happen to their institutions if, instead of sending out salesmen with a definite purpose of selling goods, they should send out, to visit their customers, commissions without any definite pur-