The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-05-19
THE ELECTION MACHINERY.

THE ELECTION MACHINERY.
Election laws should be devised for
he one purpose Of truthfully and hon
estly ascertaining the will of major
,ty of the legally qualified electors.
/ No other motive shold control iegis-
,ators in the enactment of election
avs. And where the election ma
chinery is used for purposes foreign
70 this idea Democratic institutions
are threatened and the destruction of
popular liberties is invited. II the
rhoice of public servants and the dec
laration of governmental policies are
dependent upon the control of the ma
chinery that records the popular will
we shall have not a government by
the people but the most offensive au-
tocracy. 1t will be a government
Democratic in form but as autocratic
In substance as if the governing au-
thority were inherited or seized by
force.
In order to secure an election sys-
tenn that will be truly representative
the machinery should be chosen by d.
rect popular expression. Hence the
measure now pending in the legisla-
ture having that object in view is de-
serving the cordial support of all who
really believe in genuine popular gov
eminent. We frankly confess that
we have no confidence whatever In
the sincerity of the author Of that bill.
He waited until long after the legis-
lative hiatus before manifesting the
slightest disposition to secure this re.
form, in the meantime lending all OF
his influence to the enactment Of the
vicious and partisan machine law.
But the fact that the author OF a
measure is a scheming politician who
does not deserve the confidence and
good will of the people does not
necessarily detract from it's merits.
And if a bill presented by this char
acter of legislator will bear the clos
est scrutiny it Is entitled to the sup
port of all who can commend the OBJ
ject which 1t will serve.
The Herald has long been an advo-
cate of the direct responsibility OF
the officers who constitute the cleo
ton machinery to the people. 1t is
too vast authority, one that will sub
ject the holders Of 1t to too great
to vest all power of con-
troll of the casting and counting OF
the ballots in every one of the 1000
election precincts of the State. The
pending measure should be amended
so as to provide for the direct cleo.
ton of the first commissioners by the
people and then passed. 1t would do
more to restore confidence in the in.
tegrity of our elections and promote
harmony in the Democratic party
than any event that we could antici-
pate.
The objection that elections should
be uniform and that therefore State
Board of control is necessity Is not
we'll taken. 1t is desirable that there
should be uniformity in the enforce
ment and the execution of all laws
but that does not argue the necessity
'or the appointment of State board
% name all of the local officials hav-
ng to do with the execution OF the
aw. 1t is certainly as desirable that
he execution of the laws for the as
,essment and collection of revenues
should be uniform as it is that the
of the election laws
should be uniform and yet there is I
lot a newspaper or a politician In
Tennessee who would seriously sug-
rest the appointment of State
Board to name all Of the Trustees
nd Assessors and County Clerks in
he State.
The enactment Of a law that will '
estore the election machinery to the
eople is the one and only solution
f present problems in Tennessee. 1t
, the only measure that will promote '