Bryan morning eagle and pilot. (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1909, 1909-02-10
PARTY POLITICS AND LOCAL OFF,
cES.


/ Breeze is about the best thing we have
seen on the subject in several moons
AS We write this it looks as If the
Kansas. legislature will pass the bill
! for the government of cities. If that
bill goes through it will make a peace
full revolution in city government.
There is TO be a non-partisan cleo
, ton.
There is to be the initiative and ref
erendum.
And If at the end of six years the
people don't like 1t they can wipe the
whole business off the sslate without
monkeying with the legislature at all.
We are not disposed to object seri-
ously.
II may be that the cities will get
better men in Office If party politics is
cut out altogether. But why cut parti-
san politics out of the cities and leave
it in the country?
We asked the question of a friend of
the pending bill and he answered that
the government of the cities was bus
mess question that had nothing to do
with party politics or tne questions
that are supposed TO divide the great
political parties of the country
True enough, but what has the office
of county clerk or the office of county
treasurer or any other county office to
do with tariff or the question of
national currency?
The truth is that If a county officer
is honest and competent and accommo.
IT = 80. Ism -,a'-o . hcot's
difference to the people of the county
whether he is Republican or a Demo
crat. He has nothing to do with the
settlement of national questions any
more than the street commissioner or
the dog catcher in the city
But carry that question to the legiti-
mate conclusion and party organiza-
ticn will go to the scrap heap as sur,
as You are born.
There may be an impression in the
minds of the way up statesmen who
make speeches and ride in Pullman
coaches and attend the meetings of the
great leaders that they keep up the
party. Well, they don't. The men who
keep up the party are the fellows who
get out and hustle up the voters in the
wards and out in the townships and
school districts
OF course the party needs leaders !
1ut they don't make up the party nor
10 the fighting for it any more than |
he generals make up the army and do !
he fighting at the front. Disorganize
he rank and file and in mighty short
ime you wouldn't need any generals |
because there won't be anything for
hem to general over. Spread the doc
rine of non-partisan local elections
o its logical conclusion and the party
rganization is likely to break down.
The man who runs for the office of
Ownship trustee often cuts more fig.
re in carrying the township for his
arty than the man who runs for gov.
rnor Everybody in the township
nows the man who is running for
trustee. If he is a popular
ian he can hold the party strength in
ne for the whole ticket whereas if it
'asnt for helping him there would be
lot Of the fellows who either
ouldn't vote at all or else they would
e just as likely to vote for the other
de as not. Now suppose the doc
inc spreads and gets into the laws
the state that party organization
Oesn't mean the fellows who are can
idates for the local offices, do you |
oppose they are going to tear their I
working for the fellows
mo are running for governor and con
ressmen and United States seators?
Well, scarcely.
Now, we ae not making an argu-
tent against the bill that is pending.
it results in getting better men in
ne city offices then il is good thing
ven if it smashes the party organiza-
on. We are not very hidebound on
lie question of party. Political par
es are not an unmixed blessing by I
ing shot, but we don't just see how :
e are to get along without them :.
Strayed or Stolen: One mouse col
red mule. about Is hands high Left
lr slightly gotched at point. Suita-
e. l.