The Robesonian., 1897-12-01
tn, Next Campaign

o,SnA IJctwe L the nall |
an off Ell elections. |
.0tlpd, but year, as gener-
~ venr ay it is very I'M
!. - ,,.,.,ertb regards the cleo
'", ,,.aora eless. All our coun-
20 are TO elect; Legisla-
'i elect, six of the twelve |
Wy II Court judges are to elect.
w alieve we are right as to the
y" ses; and should vacancies oc-
F,Ir to be filled by appointment
there may be more. Then all the
twelve solicitors are to elect also;
and members of Congress.
There is one thing about which
all decent men out of Office are
pretty well agreed upon, and that
is that the present administration |
of our State, and, with some ex-
ceptions, our county governments,
are in incompetent and unfaithful
hands, one or both. For the first
time in the history of the State,
80 far as We recall, in 1894 there
Was q bargain made with two po-
litical parties, based upon a divis-
ION of offices, and the leaders were
liable to deliver the votes of their
followers. This was repeated in
1896, and the result is the present
and prospective conditions of our
State and county affairs. Good
men of all parties see and deplore
this, and individually say it must
be corrected as far Is the election
will reach in displacing ineompe-
tent, inefficient, unfaithful officers
by those competent, efficient and
faithful. The best means to ac-
complish this is what we are all
anxious to ascertain. Some say
that we must, as far as practicable,
ignore national issues, and address
ourselves to our domestic concerns;
and others say that we should
keep questions with which the gem
eral government alone has to do
well to the front, if not para
mount, while others and we think
the majority, consider the wise
course to be to press both national
and State issues. 1t seems to us
this latter is the proper policy,
even were it at all likely that
either of the other two sould be
adopted. Of late years, especially,
national and State issues have en-
tered the minds of the people to-
gether until they are inseparable.
But, we beg to submit, there are
other things besides differences up
on the currency question, the
tariff question, the election Of
magistrates and county commits
sioners, or the lease question, if
you please, that will be iniluen-
tial in the election. The masses
of the people are honest, and real
ly want decent, honest admins
tration of all public affairs, by
competent, faithful officials. This
they have not now, and they are
about aroused to the full knowl-
edge of it. We say, and we be-
lieve, that the Democratic party is
the only hope for such an admin
istration. The candidates next
year, their individuality, and per-
sonality, will determine the votes
of many good men. But it is OBJ
jected that nearly all men profess
allegiance to one political party
or another, and must be loyal tc
the candidates nominated by theil
parties respectively. While this
Is true, herhaps, to q greater de.
gree than it should be, yet we yer.
lily believe there will be more ex.
ceptions next year than for MANY
years, if not more than at any
time in the past.
The Democratic party has moi
been as careful as it should have
been in naming its candidates. Nc
party, perhaps, ever was. The
good name Of the State, the natio-
nal interests of all the people, and
the pride of the party, as we'll as
Its duty and hope of success, all
demand that it's very best, fittest
:; and purest men be named as can.
dldates, each with view to the
Office and its duties that he i.
named for. The various conyen.
tions should be really considerate
deliberative bodies, and no man
should be candidate before any
OF them, only in the sense that his
peculiar fitness for particular of
flee points to him. All combina.
tions and arrangements, by which
delegates are to reciprocate favors.
to the end that one man may be
named for one place and another
man for another, by concert of ac.
ton by the friends of the two.
should not only be discounte.
nanced, but rebuked. If fitness