The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-07
LEGISLATURE ELECTING OFF
LS-WASHIN
RULE OF ACTION.

| scandals attendant upon Senatorial elec
| tons have grown, and at this time there
/ are half dozen States in a disgracefrl
1 deadlock over the election for United
| States Senator Before the war, the
| Legislature elected judges and solicitors
| and Georgia has recently decided to dis
| continue that method. The best way to
| get the best officials is by the vote OF
| the people, and when this is impractica
BILE, appointment by good Governor and
| confirmation by the Senate is the mos
| suitable and produces the best results.
This Legislature, in self defense, must
| take all possible power of appointment
| out of the hands of the present Cover
| nor. for he has shown his utter incap&-
city to use that power safely. 1t is
committed by the State platform to
elect the Railroad Commissioners by the
people. and it is to be hoped that it viii
require the election by the people of
other important officers. 1t is better
give this power to three hundred thou
sand voters than to the Legislature or
to boards chosen by the General Assem-
bly,. 1t is but just, however to say tina
the men so far elected by this Legisla
tura. have been in the main the tittes
men that could have been chosen. Mos
of those elected were not candidates, and
that is why the best class of men Were
chosen. In their selections so far-Qe
us hope they will be as fortunate when
they come to elect Railroad Commission
ers) the Legislature seems to have been
guided by these three rules, formulated
by Washington, for his guidance in max
ing appointments when he was Presi
dent:
1. The fitness Of the person to fill the
office.
2. The comparative merits and "suf-
ferings in service" of the respective can
didates.
3. A regard for the geographical dis
tribution of the offices to the end that
there might be distribution of appoint
ments in as equal a proportion as might
be to persons belonging in the different
States
The last rule is one to which too
little weight is ordinarily given, regard
for geographical distribution" We
are often accustomed to hear
men say, 1T makes no difference about
location The only thing is to get the
best men" This would be proper ex-
preston il the best men" were con-
fined to any particular section, but when
fit men are to be found in every section
geographical distribution" ought to be
considered. The truth is there is not
county in North Carolina that oonld
not furnish Il capable Railroad Com
missioner, Railroad President, or any
other important officer and most of the
counties could easily furnish enough
good men to fill every position IN the
State government This being true, the
/
by Congressional or Judicial districts
so that the best talent Of all sections
could be secured.
That wasn't far from an inspiration of
genius that induced Washington to re-
gard suffering in service" as a claim
for recognition. He, doubtless, alluded
to the veterans who had lost much in
war. The same "sufferings in service"
should have weight now and give the
ex-Confederates special claims, but the
term has broader meaning. The
victory which was won by the Demo
Gratis in the last campaign was won
by men who look back upon ''sufferings
in service" In calling these men to
positions of trust, the Legislature does
well.
I'm letter to Timothy Pickering in
1855, Washington wrote: 81 shall not,
the government, bring a man into my
office of consequence knowingly, whose
political tenets are adverse TO the
measures which the general government
are pursuing for this IN my opinion,
would be a sort of political suicide" In
electing no men to office, great or small
whose political tenets are adverse to
the measures" the majority 'are pur-
suing this Legislature is following in the
footsteps of our first great President,
Men who are chosen to execute policies.
conduct institutions, or administer laws
ought to be men whose political tenets''
are in harmony with the administration
of the men choosing them. Any other
course would be sort of political
suicide"
There is one other observation of
Washington's which w nope this Legis
lature and all Democratic bodies viii
emulate in selecting public officials:
Il have never made an appointment
from a desire TO serve friend or Felg-