Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-03-21
THE HONEST MAN IN POLITICS.
His Duty In Respect 70 His Party
Ticket

George y. Cox, late republican boss
Of Cincinnati. has been universally d..
nouhced by those who are In a position
GO know the facts as a man utterly cor
rupt lie found no offenders and re-.
iirsd under Gre. When the result Of the
last election was known. In which all
bic candidates were defeated. he
promptly announced his immediate and
permanent retirement from "politics. 4"
For the time being she corrupt organ.
iaiiou In Cincinnati is broken. and
tho "good men" Of the city have
formed new club. which is 10 do
pure politics" exclusively and 20
that club President Roosevelt and Sec.
Rotary Taft have been elected 20 hon.
oraFy membership. In acknowledging
The compliment Secretary Taft writes
very enteriainingly as 20 ihs duty of
good citizens" In politics lle says
with truth. that while municipal poll.
ties have no connection with national
policies, yet u is not possible 20 prevent
nominations under national party
names and the use of the machinery u
tho party Organization 90 elect the
candidates no might have gone lar,
ther ami said IL would be- unwise 90
prevent them. National parties have
something 90 lose and can be- more ~
fectively held responsible Tor bad ma,
nieipal nominations than any other
agency
Under these circumstapees Secretary |
Taft describes the duty of a good eitl |
Een. In brief, IL Is 10 do his best With |
Ia the party 20 secure good nomiua.
tions aud. II he fails 20 bolt his ticket. J
using, of course "a wise discretion 4"
In bolting The secretary does not de-
hne the term wise discretion iu the
sense In which he uses IL. We wish be-
had, for In the decision as 20 what is
wise aud what is unwise lies the
whole ART of employing ones vote AMI
ones influence With most advantage
10 the public What secretary Taft
means Is that one should use his own
sound Judgment snL aet upon 10 AS cir
rumsiances require. still, there are
typical sases iu regard 90 which the
views OF such man as secretary Taft
'Eould b. useful For example. when
both his Own and the opposition party
ssallawags. what should an
honest man tol Ordinarily. OF course.
here will b, thirl or fourth ticket
n the held, whose candidates. having
lttie or mo- chance of election. are pre-
umsbly personally honest. however
.ranky they may be-. but 20 vote for
ne Of them would be- 20 throw one s
'ote away, which is not a good thing
Probably as a rule In such cases. the !
good man does not vote Al an
'hieh Is certainly uuWise, or. since
9th candidates are rascals. votes for
he eandidate Of his own party. Now
hat course would not tend 10 '.re-
oFm - In his own party, which he II
r0baely desires, but to encourage the 9
PPosite and saddle the city with a baa a
fheial for whom his party must be I
esPonsable. The question arises
'hetheF in such a case the good eiti
On ~ ought not 20 vote for the bad
andiSate Of the other party. The ten.
eney OF such a vote is 70 ehasteA, and d
purify his own party, while making Q
le opposition party responsible FOR A
le bad government which. under the
roomstAneeS is inevitable. This is a
'ry interesting question upon which
'sfe'AIy faft's views would have a
'ea very valuable Il be had given a
'em.-San Francisco Chronicle. g