Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-08-27
The Drawbacks Of Rotation,

The NV Nuk Press -sys:-
They have the aOsurIlest develop,
meut of spoils politics, or rather
hog politics. in the rurnl regions of
PENNSYLVANIA. In q Congressional
district of several counties each county
gets the Congressman for two Terms
and ru matter bow useful hrs eNper'
fence may 10 n,eking him, he has to
stand aside and give the politicians
OF the next county chsrce. The
underlying theory of this rotation
custom Is thst public Office is swill
aud tina. the hogs must let each other
put their feet IN the trough. 1t Is
fair play 20 the hogs, but not To the
people. This Is why YOU never hear
of the country districts of Pennsyl
vunia d.yelJrIng kslleys and Randails
by acc,;muirted experience.
The Philadelphia Press, last FRIDAY
in speaking Of tire view of The New
York Press. on the drawbacks of TO
tatjen, or freqGSut change of Con
gressmeu s;tvs-The language of the
New York Press Is very rough, but
tha logic OF IL is not wrong. The
system of rJ'esltion ST. general practic
oil by both PARTIES in Pennsylvania IN
making them Congressional nomina
tons is 'rIciouS enough to need pretty
severe lSuc.pge to characterizy 1t.
Some exceptionally good men have
been sent 90 Congress from interior
district # this State, but with two
or th-,rpr more counties in the dis,
trict 4 - practically impossible 70
keen hCm there. The counties trade
for thsr' turn. and bv the time man
Of sem ability has become useful
through little experience and ac-
VuaiDJauce it becc mes the turn of
another county to claim the nominI-
tiau. 1t may happen to go to good
man. but It Is certain to 20 To an
inexperienced one. Oi the twenty
one districts outside of Philadelphia
and Allegheny nine are represented
il the present Congress by men IN
their second term, who Will not be
leu1miuatej, aui four others who,
with former experience, were rotated
-ha.k for a term or two Outside the
districts embraced within ons county
t Congressman atkinson Is the only
member who has served continuously
more than two terms
The practice has about rs bad eff
feet I'M nm uthor way. The custom of
giving "a county two terms Is rs like
~ ur mot to keep an indifferent and
Iur tticIrut member IN during the
whole four years. If be can hold
the support of his own county the
other counties fal In for the pur-
pose of allowing the claims 70 be dis
charged, So that they can have a
chance. The member has little diff
ticuity IN holding his own county,
the fact being that If he were shelly
cd at home. and anOthes man taken
up the county might lose its mem
her entirely. Allegheny and Phila-
delphia are not accustomed to rotate,
but there Is Just as much reason for
It IN the claims of the wards In a dis
'trlct rs IN the claims of the counties.
The practice has been great in
Jury To- Pennsylvania. The State
has had able men from the interior
IN its, Congressional delegations, but
fur want of experience they have not
compared well with inferior Repre-
-entatives from other States, who
have had the advantage of years of
service. We should be glad if our
contemporaries could effect some
thing by their denuncintiop- but we
are confident they will not