Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-27
Double Office Holding.

candidate for Mayor, but Mr.. Balio'
declined the honor, feeling that M
could not in justice to the people o.
Sagadahoc county, accept anothel
Office which would call for large par
of the time for which they were paying
him. Mr.. Ballou was entirely right II
this view of his official duty
Having been elected sheriff OF
Sagadahoc, and being paid salary
for the proper performance of the
duties of that office he could not ir
fairness to the taxpayers of thai
county devote the time that rightfully
belonged to them, and for which they
were paying him, to the performance
| of an entirely distinct and very eX-
acting set of duties, demanding a
large part Of his time, and carrying
another salary. While the Republic
cans of Bath very much regretted the
emphatic declination of Mr. Ballou to
accept the nomination they had
unanimously rendered him and his re-
fusal to enter upon a career of double
Office holding, it was nevertheless, felt
by both the Republicans and Demo-
Gratis of Bath, that he had pursued
the right course and the fact
that he had the moral courage
to take that stand, and TO
adhere to it in the face OF all pres
sure, exhibits that sense of fairness
and justice, and official obligation that
has given honest John Ballou his
strong hold upon the voters of Saga
dahoc county.
All honor to him. The principle of
double Office holding is clearly in
defcnsible, and in our Judgment,
where it involves the holding of an
executive Office of county and the
mayoralty of a city. at one and the
same time. it should be prohibited by
statute law.
The Journal is very decidedly of the
opinion that no man is justified in
holding two important public offices of
an executive character and drawing
two salaries at one and the same time.
We think that citizens generally,
without respect to party affiliations,
will agree with us in this view When
q hac al inv,
ant county Office. which demands and
should receive his entire time and at
tention: and when he receives a large
salary to give it such time and atten-
ton, he certainly has no moral right
to accept and receive a salary for
another Office which in itself would
call for large part of his time and
attention. If he attends fully to either
Office. is must be at the expense of the
other. In either event it is defrauding
the public of time and service which
is has a right to expect and for which
it pays the good money of the tax
payers.
When a man is elected sheriff Of
Kennebec County. he assumes certain
duties and responsibilities which. if
properly performed will require all his
time and attention. He is paid the
first salary of $500 a year to
give them all his time and attention.
Under these circumstances We hole.
that he has no moral right to devote
large part of his time to being Mayor
of n city for which, he receives a sec
ond salary of $500 from the pockets of
the taxpayers. Never before in the
history of Kennebec county las its
sheriff undertaken 20 hold at the same
time the Office OF mayor of a city, and
we trust this condition of affairs will
never occur again. We submit that
this condition OF double Office holding
on the part Of Il sheriff is pernicio;ts
Ill theory. and indefensibe in practice.
We say these things because we
know that in doing so we represent
the emphatic views of large majority
of the voters all over Kennebec county
both Republicans and Democrats. If
John Ballou. who has no private bust
ness. was right in feeling that. holding
the Office of sheriff in Sagadahoc coun-
ty with a population Of 90 go people,
he would not be justified in holding
the further Office of Mayor Of Bath,
upon what POSSIBLE ground can Sheriff
Plaiste.l OF Kennebec county serving a
population Of 59,1l7,- nearly three
times as many as are served by John
Ballou-defend his course in holding
the Office of Mayor of Augusta?
When Mr.. Plaisted came into the Of
flee of sheriff year ago last January
il was lis plain duty to the taxpayers
of kennCbec county to have resigned
the office of mayor oil Augusta, in or
der that he might have devoted his en-
tire time and attention to the exactine
duties Of the important county Office
to which he had been elected. and for