The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-07-20
cAAlRmAM DasBs ON ASSESSMENTS.
Replies to Our Pisgal Correspondent and
Gives His News of Political Condi-
tians.

Nr. Editor: Please allow ma space to
reply to my friend sstbe Sage Of Pts
gah, and give reason for ,:ae faith
that is in me. If pubic cfhce is a
public trust. and the official a public
servant who gives vaiue received for
his salary, it is unjust to tax him that
he may be able to perform she public's
labor. The State does not assess the
Democratic or Republi-
can. TO pay the expenses Of the gen.
eral election, but each tax payer
shares the expense. So there is no
analogy between the two cases. I
haye always felt that position on the
State or county committee or an ap-
pointment as manager of an election,
State or primary, was an honor and
while it might carry with it irksome
duties, good citizen would not shlrk
these duties, if he coulud possibly
spare the time to properly perform
them. But times change and men
change with them. The average voter
not only will not submit to an assess
menS for campaign expenses as was
done in '76, rs, and 80 when my father
paid his 25 cents assessment each cam=
paign, or as Alliance men did, or as
the members of all fraternal organiza-
tions do, but in many instances the
voter ever requires that carriage
he sent for him to attend the polls,
and some demand at least quarter Of
a dollar to deposit their ballot for
the man Of their choice! God save the
mark, leave to wiser men than, am
to End the genesis of this decadence
in our citizenship. Or, if as some will
say, it has always been so, even from
the days when Gov. Adams herded
voters, and always will be so; I, for
one, will steadily set my face against
such practices. I would rather remain
a private citizen all my life, as am
very likely to do, than be elected to
any Office in the gift Of the people, if
my majority had to be obtained in any
such way.
We choose representatives to trans
act our business for Us, and they have
to pay for our suffrages! No wonder
SO many men are after Office or the
money that is in it; and can we expect
them to always keep the peoples in
terest in view when some times they
have brought and paid for the Office
more than the salary that goes with
1t? This is said to have been the case
in the Railroad Commissioners con-
test in Alabama this year.
The State Executive Committee pay
themselves for their services; the
managers are to be paid for their
services; the voters are sometimes
paid for their services; why not pay
the county committee for their servi-
ces. Their duties are as onerous and
eXacting as either the State commit
tees or managers duties. And that
there may be no discrimination hand
to each voter as he deposits his ballot
big silver dollar! make the can
ddases foot the bills for they get the
pay and it is right (?) that they
should meet the expenses Of the elec-
tious.'
No my friend, this will not do.
You see where it leads to. 1t is
wrong in principle and demoralizing
i'll pactice. I do not approve fling
up expenses unless the stockholders
will foot the bills. And ] would sug-
gest that we quit calling our officials
public servants as long as they own
the Offices by having bought and paid
for them.
Not wishing to engage in a contro-
veysly, I will explain now that when |
wrote what I did about the assess
ments made by the county committee,
I was treating conditions as we find
them, and not indorsing the principle
of making the candidates pay thee <
penses Of the campaign. Unfortunately
our ideas have fallen to the low plane
that makes the Office holder the bene-
hciary of the public, while really the
relationship should be ct least mutual,
and where a good and capable man is
put in Office the people reap more
benefits from his honest and efficient
administration than he does, and his
none too large salary Gin some in
stances) should not be taxed to pay
expenses Of the stockholders meeting.
This is an income tax, and how many
of Us would kick. if it were applied
to as, is shown by the fate of all in
come tax propositions. However, l
fear, very few sill take this view,
and we will continue to assess the
candidates, and I reiterate that, If we
do, the successful and unsuccessful
should be treated alike and there
should be but one club for each State
election precinct and none but qualiti-
ed electors should be allowed to vote
or-manage the election, or even be a
candidate.
Respectfully,
E. W. Dabbs.