The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-22
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

The Record does not approve, and its
editor has declined to sign the petition
chat il being circulated for the appoint
ment Of two additional county commits
sioners for this county. But while we do
not approve OF the appointment of these
two extra commissioners, it is not be-
cause Of the mere mercenary reason that
it will cost something, for If their ap-
pointmCnt is proper or necessary they
should be appointed whether it cost the
county anything or not. Our reason for
disappearing their appointment is two
fold first. because we cannot c0nscienti-
ously certify (as the law requires) that
the business of the county will be "impro-
perry managed by the three commits
sioners elected by the people; and second
ly, because we do think it right or demo
cratic that any of the commissioners of
a county should be appointed by any
man Though he be a judge residing in
another county.
The law, which gives q judge the au-
thority to appoint two additional com
missioners, is section ; OF chapter 135,
of the Laws of 1895, and is as follows:
Sec. 5. That whenever as many as
five electors of the county make affidavit
before the clerk of the Superior court,
at any time after the election Of the coun-
~ commissioners, that they verify believe
that the business of the county, if left
entirely in the hands Of the three com
missioners elected by the people, win be
improperly managed, that then upon
petition of two hundred electors of said
county, one-half of whom shall be free
holders, and so certified by the clerk Of
-, 4 Il
OF the district or judge presiding there
in, it shall be the duty of said judge to
appoint two honest and discreet citizens
OF said county, who shall be of politi-
cal party different from that of ma
jority of the board OF commissioners,
who shall from their appointment and
qualification, by taking the oath required
for county commissioners, be members
of said board of commissioners in every
respect as fully as if elected by the peo-
pie and shall continue in Office until the
election and qualification Of the successor
of said board of county commissioners,
and that no money shall be paid upon
the order Of said board, or official bonds
accepted, nor shall any debt be incurred
except upon the concurrence of as many
as four OF said board. That all motions
taken upon an aye and no vote, and re-
corded upon the minutes"
The above is n section OF the boosted
law of the last Legislature, which our
reform" legislators declared restored to
the people the right of local self-gov-
eminent" And yet it gives to one man,
living in another county, the right to APP
point two commissioners in any county
just as If they were elected by the peo-
ple
Now, while our reform friends who
enacted this law would have no right
TO complain Of its being enforced against
them, and while they may deserve to
have two Democratic commissioners APP
pointed by the judge, yet we cannot con-
sistently sanction such n law by taking
advantage Of it. If our Democratic
candidates for commissioners had been
elected, we could not have approved OF
the appointment OF two additional COM
missoners by the judge. Democracy
means the rule Of the people, and the
people Of Chatham having lected three
men as county commissioners the
Record, as a Democratic paper, will
quietly acquiesce in their decision, just
as we should have expected the Populists
and Republicans to have submitted, if
they had been defeated. Chatham Re
cord