Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-08-25
Government by Committees.
State Dem. Handbook, 1898.

i In the great OF 1890
much was said about government by
injunction. We have here in North
Carolina an evil, which seems to be
on the increase, of character which
may be justly termed government
by committees
Prior to 1994it had been the GUS
tom of all parties in North Carolina,
SO far as. we are Informed, to hold
their Conventions-State, district
and courtyard nominate their
candidates for the Offices to be filed.
Under such a custom the people
composing these parties had some
voice in the selection of their candi-
dates. But a new and novel practice
has grown up, which is now the rule
with the Republican and Populist
, parties. Under this new practice the
people are excluded from all partici-
patton in the selection of the candi-
dates they are expected to vote for.
The method of procedure seems to
be this:
A committee of Republican bosses
and a committee of Populist bosses
? get together and parcel the Offices
among their favorites, and then say
. to the rank and file of these parties,
"These are your candidates and you
$ must vote for them" Only a few
l days ago, we are told, committee,
with a prominent negro politician at
it's head, met a committee with a
!, prominent Populist at it's head, met
and wrangled all day over the dis
4 tribution of the county Offices for
one of the largest and best counties
in the State, and for the Senator and
/ Representatives of that county in
: the Legislature. Finally an agree
ment was reached between the ne
! gro and the Populist, which dis
poses of the county Offices and the
representation of the great county
of Edgecombe in the Legislature;
and this agreement provides for ne
i. groes for county officers and negroes
for Representatives. In many other
counties of the State we see the
same thing going on. Committees
meet and dispose of the Offices, like
dividing UP SO many hogs, sheep OF
cattle held in common. It seems as il
office, instead of being a public trust,
has come to be a private snap. The
people are left in the dark, andreally
have nothing to do with choosing
t. their public servants, except to obey
the behests of their bosses! This
|: government by committees is not
/ confined to county affairs. Candi.
dates for State Offices and for judges
have been and are being designated
in the same way. Hence we have
government by committee in State
and counties.
There are two reflections we wish
to make on this method Of choosing
candidates and designating public
officials. In the first place it is the
worst form of bossism. It makes the
boss supreme and the people moth
l. ing. And who would have thought
that men who talked SO much abou1
IS boss rule as the Populistleaders die
/ in 1892 could ever have come tx
The truth is, there never has been
party sc completely the subject o
J. boss rule as the Populist party. Tn
Populist State Convention met OF
k. the 18th of May, nearly three months
ago at the time of this writing, am
yet we doubt if there is a Populist il
VI the State who knows who will be hi
candidate for Judge in any district
; unless it be the committee of bosses
And yet this committee of bose
ID contains some of the very men VIII
ty lead away many a confding Demo
GRAFT from his party by falsely de
nouncing that party as the victim O
d, boss rule!
Is The other reflection is that by thi
method of choosing candidates an,
public officials, it cannot be expecte'
D that fit and competent men will b
chosen. The man who is the mos
subservient to the boss, or VIII
r. STANDS in with the committee, vii
B be chosen without regard to fitness
We appeal to the deliberate jude
ment of all men who are not craze
n by the facinations of Office; OF blind
ed with prejudice, to say if in prac
6, tice the worst results have not bee:
obtained by government by commit
tee.
The old Democratic way is the best
In this good old way the people rule
They meet in their primaries, in thei
county, district and State CONVEX
tions, in open daylight, in the pres
ence of all who choose to attend, an,
.s name their candidates. No boss rul
a. or government by committee here
10 It is the rule of the people. Nothin
r more, nothing less. And we invite a
men who believe in the rule of tn
people, and who condemn boss rul
and government by committee, t
ar forsake the party that practices thes
nd monarchical methods and join on
L party, which is the only real repre-
v cop4o4iva 1oY,4u IF tho ,,aop1o now I