The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-05-01
ELECTION COMMISSIONERS.

ELEC11ON SOuA ~AS'
The Nashville American comes to
the defense of Governor Frazier for his
appointments of Election Commission
ers for Knox County, which appoint
ments have drawn upon the Governor
fire of criticism not confined to Knox
County alone.
In its comments the American says:
1.-THE Governor would doubtless
gladly be rid of these appointments
He ought not to have the power TO
make them. But so long as 1T Is his
duty to appoint Election Commissioners
he should seek TO appoint honest. cap
able men whose appointment is cal
culated to give satisfaction to the
greatest number OF active Democrats.
He must rely largely npon the advice
of local Democrats, and these should
advise MIN without prejudice.
That is good advice. Governor
Fazier, whose personal character Is
clean and above reproach, owes 1t to
himself and to the people of Tennessee,
to appoint none other than honest,
capable men, and he owes it to his
party to appoint "active Democrats;
and to do that, she must rely largely
upon the advice of local Democrats, =
and ''these should advise him with
out prejudice.
Who knows better the conditions in
this county than the local Demo-
crats9'' Who can better advise the
Governor as to the effect the appoint
ment of certain men would have upon
public morals and party interests, than
leading, loyal, local, DemocratsY Why
should not their opinion and advice
be almost conclusive of the ques-
tion2
VINO are these leading, loyal, local
Democrats2 The Governor knows
them At least he knows the more
prominent ones among them. He is
sufficiently acquainted in this county
TO get all the information ne needs
Why should he not summon twenty,
thirty, forty or fifty OF the leading
Democrats of Maury County, and
his personal friends, and say to them,
'there seems to be division OF sen
timent in Maury as to whom l should
appoint Election Commissioners. You
men know the conditions better than
I can know them, and have sent for
.you to advise ME, and practically to set.
tie the question. II you can agree,
would be glad; if you cannot agree,
shall be nstrained to take the advice OF
the majority. And shall ask you to
advise me without prejudice. That
is. in the interest of public morals,
and fair elections, and the Democratic
party.
The trouble nearly all our Gov
errors get into is by relying upon a
few men to advise them upon all 4ues-
tions. And these few men, as rule,
are professionals, who MAKE business
of advising the Governors, and who
nearly always have some class interests
to serve ana some personal axes to
grind. They are provident class, who
rise and flourish and then fade away
but their places are never vacant.
No sooner do they lose out, and their
reign is about the length OF one ad-
ADMINISTRATION, than others rise up in a
night, like toad stools In spring time,
to take their places.
They hung like load stone about the
neck Of good -natured, warm hearted
and Jovial Bob Taylor, and at one time
han almost wrecked his political for
tune.
Even so experienced and astute
a politician as Benton McMillin could
not escape them, and the only reproach
upon his exceptionally fine admins
tration was directly traceaole to this
same species of professional political
advisers.
And now they are casting, or seek
ing to cast, their baneful infue nee
over James B. Frazier. they want
to have a voice In naming the Election
Commissioners not for their counties
alone, but for all the counties. They
assume to know, better than the local
Democrats know. what Is ''best for the
party" That is not only violent
assumption to begin with. but 1t is an
insincere and hypocritioal profession
besides.
They advise in the name of the
party, but In other interests. In the !
main their first consideration is the