Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-01-17
OFFICIAL INFERIORITY.

Its TUESDAY issue, uLd~A AoA tHc
appearance of Sol. Smith Russell on
the stage. 1t concludes the article
by saying Of both: Ii, IS he returns
East. he should add to his repertoire
a sample Of = speech of a Nevada As
semblyman We fear it would stop en-
i0rstiou TO this State That surely
is vary hxra hit Perhaps the As
semblymen deserve IL We don't
pretend tn know whether they do or
not. But complaint at this time is
useless. The gentlemen are elected
and they viii bold their seats until
!. the time for adjournment arrives By
xt,i by there will be another election
for Assemblymen, and then will be
the time for papers with such indu-
ence as The Eaterpris. has to tell the
people and the politicians and eau
cuses especially wha, sort Of men are
fit be laRmskers But then those
papers will have just no. word to
say about IL They will recommend
every man that their party nomi-
mates, aad will scarce condemn those
of the opposite party who may be de-
fcient.
Here lies the cause. in large part,
of tie low standard Of many OF our
Legislatures. Men are nominated,
not for any special fitness which they
may possess, but more frequently be-
cause of the vote they will bring To
the ticket by their personal popular
ity. And il is fact that a. rule
the men most popular, who are
the surest of victory If dominated.
are not correspondingly fitted for
the duties which they arc elected
to perfarm. 1t is perhaps al In
superable error in our form of gov
eminent that men Of this Kind are TOO
often elected TO places that nature or
education never intended them to
I'll. Rival political parties, too. are
always ready to consider the -availa-
bility- Of a man rather than his in
trinslc worth. They would much
sooner prefer poor man of their
own political creed to be elected than
that the opposite party should cleo
one eminently we'll qualified.
With this desire for party success
in view, nominations are made in
nine cases out of ten with sole re-
gard to the number of votes the NOM
inee will poll and the probability Of
his beating with his personal popu-
larity rival candidate. Until this
custom is remedied we shall have
poor Legislators and incompetents in
office of every kind.
In all local elections it is more i'm
portant TO have honest and efficient
men of no political predictions than
to have either party carry with infe-
nor men. There are no overwhelming
principles now between the parties
calling for the yielding of other i'm
portant considerations, in the hope Of
reaching some compromising end.
The time when such principles ex-
listed is fully past. The leading con-
sideration now should be to secure
the best administration, in local and
State offices, through the most com
petent hands. ..-,
If the press in election time will
awaken voters to these considerations
and instruct the politicians that merit
must be the measure of a man us a
candidate, the standard of our Legis-
latures and of all our official bodies
will be raised TO where the prevailing
intelligence of the country entities it
TO be, and superior men will consent
20 hold Office, and take actual part
in politics. The reformation rests
entirely with the press to effect.