Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-04-10
REFLECTION.
[From the Jefferson City Tribune

[From the Jefferson City Tribune.l
In this state there is great differ
ence of opinion on how long man
should hold Office. The constitution
decides the matter with regard to sew
eral Offices and there is no legal barrier
concerning the remainder. People have
different ideas on this subject. BY
careful comparison it will be discovered
that objections to reelection are urged
more in some cases than in others, and
the terms of Office differ greatly. TO
make this matter clear we will give
few examples: A judge OF the supreme
court is elected for term of ten years.
No objections are ever raised to judge
asking for reelection, and if he is sue
cessiul he has twenty years. term OF
office. Any other state officer who is
eligible to succeed himself would have
to be re- elected five times to equal the
single re- election of the supreme court
Judge. Practically speaking, there is
no good reason why the one should be
any more objectionable than the other.
Meritorious service should always be
rewarded where there is no legal OBJ
struction in the road.
This government is founded on the
principle that the people shall rule. 1t
Is for them to say when man has been
in Office long enough and from their
decision there is no appeal. The peo-
pie appear to apprehend a danger in
allowing a president TO hold over two
terms of office and by common con-
sent no man except Gen. Grant ever
intimated that he would like to have
third term. This is only custom, but
1t is as powerful as any law which
could be framed. But this feeling does
not exist with regard to other offices,
and it is common custom to re-elect
officers just as often as they give salts
faction 10 the people.
If capdidate cannot be assailed
from any other point than that he has
held office before, it is very good evil
dence that his opponents have a weak
cause. The people do not care for in
dividnals SO much as they do for good
service, and they have no time to waste
In experiments. Afew months, or a
year at best, will usually prove what
there is in q man. If he is incompe-
tent or corrupt, the people will find it
out and at the proper time dispense
with his future services. But if, on
the other hand, he proves to be honest
faithful and capable, they seldom re-
fuse him any future favors he may ask.
This business of making faces at q
public man is something that any per-
son can indulge in, but it is not COM
mendable, and IN truth, Injuries the
cause it is intended to help. Good
sound reasoning is what the people
want. If an officer has been untrue to
his trust, let the people know it, and
tell when. how and where. Put him
under the lash of public opinion, and
advertise to the world that he has de-
ceived the people. Strike him without
fear or mercy and never cease until he
has been forced into utter oblivion.
But in the name OF common justice and
good sense never assail q public man
on the single charge that on past occas-
ions he haa faithfully served the people
and again asks for recognition at their
hands. How will thinking men look
Y on such a charger 1t is needless tC An.
swer. If public man never commits
any worse crime than serving the pe0
pie faithfully in the past and then ask
ing for future favors of q similar ma
ture, we do not imagine that he is Ia
any immediate danger of calling dowI
the wrath of an indignant public.
There is only one rule by which tn
people have been guided in the past il
reference to this subject, and that is. Il
. only re-elect when the applicant ha
3 made a previous good record. This i
| a very wise policy, as it rewards meri
; and Furnishes lack of the same. O
course, this only applies to cases wher
changes Of public sentiment and poll
ties are excluded, for either may defea
a worthy man. In summing the Who'll
matter of reflections up it will b
8 found that past service decides lhe ma
g ter. If the applicant has been faithfu
g the people will not throw him aside fo
J, an experiment, and the numbers 9
F.; years that he has been in public lii
n will not cripple his chances, if the
Q have been well spent.