Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-03
FRAGMENT Electlons.

TIE fathers OF The republic OF TIE tnited
.sgtfs were great statesmen. I, Is matter
4 surprise .ba, ia country OF Only three
millions OF people, separated by an OCEAN
from al ne civilizations Of The Old World,
sud with few colleges and only q little 1c-
cumuated wealth, there should have been
found 50 many men entitled 10 be c'a>sed
with statesmen, and with statesmen OF the
ir,t order. We do well TO study the
writings OF these statesmen of generation
Which long since passed away; for "therc
were giants in those days"
some Of our exchanges, in Virginia and
IN other States, declare that there are too
many elections in thi, country. What say
the faihtlsY Read the Bid OF Rights OF
Virginia and see. II says on ihc subject
we are now discussing:
.'Tbe legislative. executive. and judicial
powers should be separate and distinct;
and that the members thereof iaav BE- re-
strained from oppression. by feeling ana
naIficipaiing the burthen> OF the people.
they should al fixed periods he reduced 20
private station, return into that bog FROM
which they were originally taken. aud the
vacancies supplied by .fregveo'. certain, and
regular elections
The most intelligent; people in the world.
taken as a whole. are The people Of the
Tniied States. Even mob IN this cOuatry
l,as been declared by British writer to be
mob in brcadcIoih. our schools, public
and private. have done their pair of thi.
work OF enlightcning the masses; but they
have not done it all, Icy great deal. The
Fact that we have &" frequent elections has
had an educating influence that cannot he
Oypr-e>llmated. The documents that are
sent out TO The peoples the speeches
that are made upon the stump; the
proceedings Of ward and county poliiI-
cal meetings: the information scattered
far and wide by excited conversations oc-
curing in every hamlet. and in every i'm
aginable manner,-are all pIlt OF the cd
ucsilonal system OF this country. Think
OF how much the people have learned du-
ring The last few months concerning our
plan OF ecciing Presidents OF tie United
States.
Why, the elections for constablc,. jus.
tices Of the peace, and other such offices,
are beneficial TO the community. These
officials all learn much about matters in
general, as well as about the duties
OF their particular Offices, Is a nat
ural consequence of the humble honOrs
conferred upon them; and n one
set OF them after another comes into and
zoe, out Of office. The lesvcn OF intelligence
does its work throughout the body poll
tie.
In 1851, in TIE United states Senate.
whilst the subject OF elecing President
Of the United States was up for discussion,
Mr.. BLAINE made the striking suggestion
that il in 1876 the election OF President
had been for ten years instead OF four we
might not have reached as peaceful an adj
justment OF the question rs we did. He
added that annual elections for Governors
aud Legislatures have conduced tOthe peace
and harmony Of the country. The reason Is
upon the surface. II is that II YOU are de-
feated this year you rlay be successful
next. Add further suggestion OF Mr..
BLAINE's is worthy Of notce-namely,
that in proportion TO the length Of the
term OF an ohicer-say, President Of the
United States-would lie the trouble and
turmoil in the ease Of a clo,ely-contested
and doubtful election.
Personally, we would that there were
fewer elections. our own comfort would
be enhanced BY their reduction TO the
smallest number possible. Yet we cannot
but believe that frequent elections educate
the people in many ways, and therefore
that they are not an unmiXed evil, If an
eyIl at all.