The advocate., 1897-09-08
SENATOR JUMPER SHOULD NOT
RESIGN
REHT(4N,

Olnce at q Time, Rank and File" eX-
presses his agreement with Hon. P. p.
Elder when the latter is quoted as say
ing that 'the appointment of Senator
Jumper is good one, and possibly no
better one could have been made, but
nevertheless he could give the State bet
ter service in either the position OF Sen
atOr or member of the Board Of Charities
If he were charged with the performance
of the duties of but one of the Offices"
Now right here must take issue with
Frank and File" and with my old friend
P. P. Elder. am greatly surprised that
P. P. Elder, with his large experience
and usually sound judgment, would take
so untenable position. My observation
as an ex-member of the Board of Chari-
ties and an ex-member Of the Leglsla-
ture causes me to regret that Governor
Leedy did not appoint more members Of
the Senate not only on the Board of
Charities, but on each board OF the other
institutions Of the State and at the heads
of the several other departments as well.
Now we can fully sympathize with
Rank and File (and we dare say he is
more rank and file than he desires to
be, and likewise Brother Elder in want
ing the good things spread around so
that they will reach as many as possible,
that is, when we are not in the swim;
but when we are like Brother Elder
when ne was Speaker of the House we
would probably be reaching out for the
best there was in sight. But the ques>
tiOn should be "the greatest good to the
greatest number" 1t is true that had
the Governor appointed some man not
in Office, or If Senator Jumper would re.
sign as Senator, two men would have
places whereas only one has them now.
But there is another side to this ques-
tiOn that appears to me to be quite over
looked. Before Senator Jumper again
takes his seat in the Senate he will have
had about seventeen months experience
among the eight institutions coming un-
der his charge and in the maintenance
of which nearly one-half of the revenues
Of the State are expended. He will have
had opportunities of learning their
wants and of observing what changes are
needed in the laws governing them, and
here is where Senator Jumper may be of
greatest benefit to the institutions under
the charge of his board and incidentally
to the State as legislator, as the proper
expenditure of half million dollars of
the States money annually is an item Of
no small Importance. I venture the as
sertion that the Senator now knows
much more about the institutions than
he ever thought Of before assuming his
duties on the board, and further, think
he would be surprised at his presump-
tiOn in attempting to legislate for the
government of those institutions before
acquainting himself with their needs
1t is matter to be greatly deplored that
in our system of representative govern
ment no provision exists for represent
ing each of our great institutions in both
branches of the Legislature
| am not seeking to cast any refec-
tiOns upon our legislators; they are rep
resentative men, no more, no less. Those
of any earthly use to their constituent
cies and the State are those engaged in
some legitimate occupation that fully
occupied their time and thought before
the Legislative bee got into their bon
nets" AS everybody knows, the conduct
of the average political campaign is suf-
ficient to fully absorb the time and atten-
tiOn of the successful candidate before
election, and the necessary attention to
his private business, the few weeks that
intervene between election and the con-
vening of the Legislature to which he
goes fresh from the people," in most
cases SO decidedly fresh" that / fully
believe not 10 per cent of them when
elected could enumeraGe all of the State
institutions for the government of which
they are expected to wisely legislate, and
for whose maintenance they must make