The San Francisco call., 1897-09-03
A FOOLISH PROPOSITION.

n
n shall provide for the voting of officials out OF ofee is
receiving the support of part of the press, "hlch
insists with great vigor upon its propriety.
novelty conspicuous this needs careful exam
naon and should be we'll considered before adopted 1t IS
novelty in system of government only for mas Deeh
tried before in various FORMS In the Greek commonwealth
only were men liable to be voted out of office but out of
the country and there is abundant historical testimony at
the people used but little discrimination in selecting victims for
ostraoSm Instead of voting out the worst citizens the popu
lar vengeance fell often upon the best The Greek who threw
his shell to ostracse Asde he tired of hearing
him called ''the Just" has many followers to-day.
The ballot follows quite closely the lines upon which puo
lie opinion reused The press is now the readest ana most
powerful means of influencing public opinion and that GER
tain class of papers do this by appealing to prejudice IS no
secret
Senator Toombs of Georgia said to young candidate Tor
political honors Remember always that in politics one
prejudice gets more votes than a thousand reasons.
1t true now that good and honest hesitate about
taking public office the baser press does not scrupe to
libel them to its profits by appealing to popular
prejudice The Examiner nearly procured the murder by mop
of man in Shasta County by charging him with dozen
MURDERS and retracted grudgngy when all of the alleged
victims reported and fed table as the guests
of the man who had been charged with killing them.
1t easy to that with ostacsm by ballot established
every public officer becomes the slave of blackmaing
newspaper which destroy his reputation by lying and oust
him from office by playing upon popular passion and prejudice
weapon would be put into the hands OF corrupt
newspaper and. instead of purifying official life, it would be
the means of debauching It. The Greek method, tried
thoroughly in that ancient commonwealth does not to
have had permanent in the land where terminated and
was adopted to any extent by succeeding nations.
To make officers obey reckless newspaper no better
plan can be conceived than this There is growing belief
that this dagoonng already pracced too much and will
bad day for justice when Judge feels that he holds
office by such slender the goodwill of newspaper
which send him to join Asdes matter how stainless
his official hands may be-
In many of the Latin American countries the Government
continually in danger of change by revolution and these
changes frequent and errac to weaken the safe
guards of person and property Where these not main
tanned there but little prosperity and advancement There
great danger tha osracsm will bring about practically the
same results as change by revolution.
Popular institutions in the crucbe in this country
with every evidence that they will stand the For
than century municipal State and Ma
and balances safeguards and BARRIERS intended to get
and judgment reflected in the popular verdict of the ballot
box The progress made under existing institutions and
methods is conclusive argument against revolutionary
change. Bad toerabe in office for the brief
tenure fixed by law than charter provision that would
make possible for good be osracsed by ballot and
outlawed in spasm of prejudice, cunnngy planned by
corrupt press demagogue agitator.
Does any suppose that the good of Judge
Temple of Theodore Hte would have protected either
in office against the appeals to the people made by Denis
Kearney in the height of his power?