The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-02-24
THE coUNrY GOVERNMENT.

Mr.. DEMONSTRATING seen and read
your editorial on our present system
of county government, in reply to the
demands of several of your c%orrespOn-
| dents for the repeal of the present law.
You also invite correspondence and
| discussion on the subject, [ therefore
write to give you some information in
regard to the working of the system in
this, the Piedmont section OF the State.
So far as [ have been able to learn
from information and inquiry there is
no real cause of complaint In relation
to the law itself, but there is some COM
plant about the manner of it's eXecu-
ton. The real cause of complaint or
| dissatisfaction, so far as l have been
able to learn, is the carelessness and
Indifference of the people themselves,
and not in the law or the system.
The people have in many instances
let political bosses at the court houses
| cOntroI.the appointment of magistrates
in the various townships, and in many
other instances members of the legisIa-
ture have controlled the appointments
in their own interest.
Experienced magistrates have been
sometimes removed for no other cause
than to make room for some favOrite
or personal friend of the member of
the legislature, or to satisfy the de-
mands of political bosses who asked
for the scalp of the present incumbent
for personal reasons.
Appointments are often made as a
reward for personal services rendered
in the political campaign in which the
parties interested were successful in
the previous political election, the
| appointments being often made with
out the least regard for the wishes or
convenience Of the people, or the COM
potency of the new appOintees, who
are sometimes very young and mex
perienced and incompetent men. In
some instances you will find in the
various townships nearby all the mag
istrates of the township living near
neighbors, only a few hundred yards
apart, while the largest of the town
ship are left without any magis-
trates at all, thus requiring people who
have business with the Justices to
sometimes travel a long distance,
which of course is troublesome and ex-
pensive.
Now [ think I have given you the
cause of complaint of the present sys-
tenn of county government in this, the
l. 4COLA1IOl1O OOOU1Ol1.
What is the remedy? Why, it is
simple enough. Let the people in the
various townships take control of the
matter themselves, and let the pOliti-
clans be back members; let their strut
ting and posing and Influence" be
back members also.
The people in the various townships
in the counties throughout the State
can have the matter arranged to their
own satisfaction by selecting the men
they want to be magistrates in the To-
calities selected by them, keeping in
view the capacity and convenient local
ity of the men recommended, then
send a petition to the members of the
legislature representing the county
asking for the appointment of the JUS
tices named in the petition. The APP
pointment will be made-the members
of the legislature will not dare refuse
to make them.
The people in this section have lately
adopted this plan, and | am satisfied
that hereafter there will be but little
cause of complaint.
If in any instance the members of
the legislature should refuse to make
the appointments in accordance with
the petition and demands of the peo-
pie, they can be retired from public
life and others can take their place
who will have the appointments asked
for made, and who will in every other
respect comply with the demands of
the people. P. B. KENNEDY.
Irede1 County, N. @.