The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1908-09-26

1t is eminently right and proper
OF course, that there should be In
the people the posver to take away
What they give, should the occasion
arise through the nalfeasance or
neglect OF an elective officer, and to
this end the people of the state have
provided that proceedings may be
begun in the courts for the removal
of a derelect official from office. This
gives the accused official the rights
of hearing in court and of review
Of such action as the district court
may take. 1t is proposed by the DEM
ocrats, however, to clothe the gov
ernor, a necessarily political and not
judicial officer, with this power OF
summary removal, not upon the in
itiative OF the people who elected an
official, but upon the simple convic-
tion of the governor that an official
is not performing his duty to the sat
isfaction OF the chief executive of the
state.
We can readily imagine certain
contingencies Of politics and acute
partisan differences where the tenure
of office OF an elective official would
be doubtful indeed, in the event that
such q law were on the statute books.
Governors are human and not In
fallihle, and the political pressure that
might be brought to bear for the re-
moval of certain officials who were
politically obnoxious or perniciously
active would make such law for
midable political weapon. There might
be occasion where there was a radical
- u
ecutive of the state and an executive
officer of the state or of a county, and
an offlcial who maintained the right
to his own Interpretation OF duty
would stand in danger of summary
removal from office, II his interpreta-
tion did not met with executive ap-
prevail We have had vigorous preach
ments against Capitalization OF power
and authority, and yet we know OF no
law that would so thoroughly CEN
tralize authority as this proposed
measure. We have at the present
time means for the removal OF Of
ficials through the courts, and the
courts are not held to be political
For what reason should this machin-
cry be taken out of the hands Of the
courts and placed in the hands of an
officer who Is necessarily political
officer, from the very nature of parti-
san government? Are the courts less
likely to exact justice than an indi-
vidual? Or would political purposes
be better served by placing so pow
erful weapon in the hands or one
man alone?
We have in this country pridsd
ourselves upon the reserve OF certain
powers to the people themselves, and
the selection and continuance In office
OF certain Of their officials Is one of
the rights OF which people are proper
" jealous. We have prided ourselves
that any man, attacked In his life.
his property or the enjoyment OF his
honors and distinctions, could go into
court or before jury Of his fellows
and defend himself We have prided
ourselves that no one man has held
authority over another that would
amount to a menace OF his life, lib
erty or property We believe firmly
enough that the people will continue
to reserve to themselves the right to
choose their own officials and to
maintain them in Office, independently
Of the arbitrary power Of any one
man, saving to. themselves the right
to begin judicial action for their re-
movai from office subject to review
by courts which are non-political and
not swayed by the heat and prejudice
OF partisanship or factionalism. The
matter Is one that goes TO the very
foundation OF representative govern
ment, and one In which every citizen
has q vital interest. The machinery
already provided for the removal OF
officials would seem to be entirely ad-
equate for an purposes
| Milton Globe: The Grafton News
and Times refers to c. Al. johnson, the
republican candidate for governor, ais
"a man whom Alex Mckenzie and a
train load of beer nominated at the
IMinot convention against the express
wishes OF q great majority OF the
party" This kind OF warfare will not
add anything to the Burke vote In
the November election, nor detract
from that OF johnson. The American
people are sticklers for fairness, and
there is neither fairness nor truth
contained in The News and Times
paragraph Everyone knows that G.
A. johnson was not nominated at
Minot and for this reason the state-
ment by the Grafton paper that ALEX
Mckenzie and car load OF beer
were the agencies employed In bring
| ing this about is doubly unjust Nei-
ther was Johnson nominated against
! the '.express wishes Of great major
| ity OF the party" Johnson was nom
/ mated under the primary system and
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