Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-05-01

Any Alexandrian, therefore, who is a suf.
fragan, may be elected mayor three times con-
secntvely by the qualified. uoters Of the city.
Mr.. k"mper has 0ecu elected but twice
through that agency. The LEGISLATURE has not
said that every body bat MIR. Kcmper may be
30 elected. He is consequently eligible for one
more term
50 rpuch for the meaning of the law.
ln Answer 10 this We hear it said But Mr..
k:pper, just previous 10 bis first eecriou by
the qualified voters, was elected by the Civ
Council TO bill MIR. Berkeleys uuexpired term.
he has, therefore, had his three terms, and
should give way to Dr.. j. B. Johnson" This
Is an utter absurdity. Suppos' the City Couu
Gil had elected him not only 90 one but on
forty dltteren occasions to fill as many unex-
pred terms, does DOT the act plainly say that
ne may, nevertheless be elected hrec times 10
succession Gy the qualified uoters? Is there
anything 10 The aet which says or can be con.
strucd to mean that an election by the City
Council to bill three months vacancy shall
have the Same dlsquallfying effect as IN cleo
ton oy he people for one year? When the
Legislature uses the words QUALIFIED voter"
does 1t refer TO the twenty four Councilmen of
the city, or does it refer to the great voting
population OF the city?
The answers to these questions suggest
themselves Immediately to every unbiased
mlod, aud they render Dr. Johnson's position
no. only uuteDable, but as he is sensible man
they must be unpleasant to him.
We will present to Mr.. kemper's opponents
a hypothetical case Suppose the Legislature
had enacted that the term of ofice OF The
Mayor Of Alexandria should be one year, and
that the same person could be elected TO thai
office by the qualified voters but once; and sup,
pose thai Mr.. Berkeley had resigned FIVE days
before his term expired aud Mr. Kemper had
been elected Jy the City Council TO fill the va
cancy, do you meao 10 assert, either as pro-
position of law or of common sense, that MIR.
kruper would not at the end Of those FIVE
days be eligible for election by the qualified
voters of the city for the term OF one year?
You could not say that, and yet it is but car
rylng you: arguments against his eligibility Tor
a third term to their legitimate result, and is a
lorclble illustration OF the absurdlty OF your
present position.
But, they add, Mr.. Kemper has been in the
office a long time, aud he ought to be satisfied.
Probably he is, but the people are not They
have tried him and he has not been found
wanting. The principle of rapid rotation in
Office is a humbug, and the cause Of more mis-
management and bad government than any
other of the many false political doctrines so
often referred to- To turn an officer out be-
cause he has been long time 10, is like to di>.
missing master workmen and hiring appren-
tees. The duties Of every Office must be learr-
cd, and when person has held it long enough
to learn them, is it not The part OF discretion
and sound judi m ,nt to keep him there, rather
than supply his place with one, who, be h.
ever 81 capable, cabuot become perfcc'l y tamil-
lar with his duties before his term has X
pirtd? FIRST WARD.