, 1875-04-08
TERRITORIAL GovERsMExr.-The re

TERRITORIAL GovERNMENr. re-
vised code of the United States confers
spon the Governors Of Territories the
power Of appointing all Territorial
sf6cers, such as Auditor, Treasurer.
School Superintendent, Librarian. Re-
gents of the University, etc. For man
Hest reasons, personal to himself. the
editor of the Standard protests against
this change. He says: The simple
sdest of this act will be to compel the
people to pay salaries to officers they
have no voice in selecting; to render
tribute to the Government for the sins
ple privilege of being an appendage Of
the American Union, and constituting,
practically. political poor-house,
where it is convenient to send such pol
hicians, and their relatives as are no
longer ser"iceubie in manipulating
States politics for national purposes
How. We believe tie right of self-gov-
eminent is inherent and inalienalle,
and can see no reason why the people
Of . Territory OF the United States have
not as clear a right to regulate their
own domestic Institution in their own
vay-subject to The paramont authority |
Of the Constitution--as the people of
State; but We fail to comprehend the
force of the objections urged to this
change, which the Standard deprecates.
The people of this Territory never had
any voice in the selection of the Terri
torial officers referred to, as the editor
Of the Standard well knows: but the
selections have been made by bargain
between small Knot of politicians IN
Legislative caucus. more corrupt and
sorrup.ing than if made by single
responsible officer. The substitution
Of caucus management for the popular
will by scheming politicians is the cause
and source OF nearly all the political
Ills under which the country has suf-
tered.
iThe system Of Executive appoint
nent established by the new code is no
new thing brought into vogue by the
present dominent party. but pertalned
70 all the old Northwestern Territories
1nder Democratic rule. In those Ter
Etories, not only the general Territorial
officers, but all military and local judi
eial officers, including County Judges,
Prosecuting Attorneys, Sheriffs, and
Justices of the Peace, held Office by
appointment Of the Governor, and this
system was continued, in the main,
until the admission of the last of those
Territories into the Union in 1913. Not |
only that but tie first State Constitution
Of Michigan. adopted in 1886. vested
in the Governor the appointment of
Seretary of State. Attorney General.
Auditor. Treasurer, Bank Controller,
School Superintendent. Regents OF the
University, County Judges and Prose- 8
cutting Attorneys. That was then re-
rarded as Democratic and the editor of
this paper, then an editor III Michigan,
was the only Democratic editor in Mich
igan who refused to act with his party .
IN assentin. to that constitution.
It will be recollected that the Demo-
cratic party first established the caucus J
system, substituting the caucus for
Executive power; change which never
to US as promotive of purity q
IN politics or as a concession to popular
rule; though it is undoubtedly the best
system ever devised to servs the ends
Of intriguing politicians. By the eau
Gus the State of'New York was many
years governed by tn" Albany Regency"
and by the same system New York city q
was robbed by BOSS Tweed" and his
satellites. We confess to preferring the +
cid system of Executive responsibility. q
-A~D~S----