The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-11-23
bE.CENTRALIZE OUR OFFICIAL
SYSTEM.

that 'One of the first acts OF the Con
stitutional Convention since its reas
Semhlng should be- 20 bring closer home
10 the people some Oi the many offices
now either chosen 10y the Legisla
ture or appointed ' Then, having DIES
canted upon the origin of the demand
for election of all officers by the people
our contemporary says. "ltcannot say
that it believes this popular election
scheme is the thing needed In truth we
frankly admit that We think it Is an er-
rOr and is being carried too far, even IN
iii the people have been taught 10y dema-
gogues that il is their only salvation
ard hope. But we do maintain that II
the principle is 20 apply To certain high
offices il should be made 20 ITO lower
ones also.
And why. in truth should not the
principle nit all offices. both high and
low. If the Convention is going 10 dis
franchise the negro and leave the choice
Of officers 10 the whites only II eN-
perience has demonstrated. a. We
think il has. the wisdom OF popular
elections. why should one office be elec-
tive and another appOintive.
- EtMAA4N AuAt44t NAtAA tAANAN AAtAF ..NN % ~
good deal of demagOgy in the demand
that certain offices be filed by popular
elections but We can not assent 10 the
assertion Of THE FREE LANCE that the
demand originated with the demagogues
or that il is dangerous 10 the welfare Oi
the state We have had. 10 be sure the
spectacle of some of the lOudest sh0uters
for popular elections taking 10 the timber
when il was suggested that the principle
be applied 70 their own particular offices.
But. none the less. the people prefer To
choose their public officials directly
As for the Constitutional Convention.
its attitude has been little short OF
amazing. Instead OF making all Offices
elective il has actually indicated a pur-
pose 10 make some, that are now cleo
tive appOintive We are persuaded that
il will be a disappointment TO the peo-
pie OF the State if the Convention does
not de-centralize our official SYSTEM
Norfolk Nirginian-Pilot.
THE FREE Lance. willing 10 admit
thatits Norfolk contemporary Is one
ofthe people" who have been clamor-
ing for election OF officers by the peO-
pie. Is not surprised that it does not
assent to ourcharge that the greater
part OF this sentiment has been ere
pted by demagogues. There are
some offices which the most rabid adj
vocates ofpoliticalcen are
bound TO admit should be filed by
the people. The FREE LANCE. not
beng of this denomination. believes
there are many Offices which could
be advantageously filed in this man
ner. Specification is not necessary
here. But 10 sustain our position
We have but to call 10 the mind OF
our contemporary that at the time
of the May Conference, and the cam
paigns which grew out OF it, leaders
of the movement proclaimed from
the stage and the stump their indy
ing fealty to the cause Of the people
as represented in the right 20 name
all officers OF the peOple-from /. ).
Senator down 10 Overseer OF the
Poor. This doctrine has been too
widely disseminated to deny its eX-
istence. and, short as politician 5
memory is, it has been too lately pro-
claimed TO have been forgotten. Then.
moving up a peg OF time, wecome to
the Norfolk Convention OfAugustlast,
and what do we find? But for efforts
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES it is doubt
full that the people would have been
privileged to name any other office
than that OF L. S. Senator-the only
office that was in reality target for
the Conference mOvement-nOtwith-
standing the loud protestations that
the principle should apply to all Off
ces. The scenes within the ResOlu-
tions committee are too recent to
deny that this was the spirit which
pervaded the leaders OF the move
ment in Virginia They were opposed
TO bringing the Office OfCOngressman
under its provisions, and it was left
with county organizations to say
whether there should be or not pri-
maries for the nomination OF county
officers. With these facts before them
will any deny the statement that the
movement has been attended with
much demagogism? Ardent advo
Gates may tindrefuge in the belief that
even if it was tainted with demagOgy
it was cause in behalf of the people
and the cause was not TO be decried
because OF its attending hypocriticaI
advocates. There is a wide diver
gence of opinion as to the subject be-
ing a burning cause OF the people
The question OF taxation is also o.
supreme interest TO the people. but
will sober, sound-thinking men for a
moment believe that we could OIL
must do away with all taxation be
cause some demagoguegets upon the
stumpand shouts "down with taxes'
Let some powerful orator start q
causade for the abolition of all taxes
and how long would it be before he
would have the masses OF the people
at his heels? 1t would take the
sturdiest and most valiant states
men to head him off, but if they
didn't do so we all know that the
country would soon be at the dem
milton bow-wows.
BY way OF explanation ofour posi-
ton, which our contemporary has
sI;0hflv fuddled we desire to saw that