The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-10-03
"Caprice of the Majority"

It is surprising to an old fashioned
Democratic newspaper like The
Times and Democrat. which believes
in the people and is willing to trust
hem with all power, to hear newspa-
pers claiming to be Democratic and
protesting to believe in a republican
form of government like we have,
talk of the caprice CT the majority
and of the people being mob. Such
if they would confess it,,
believe more strongly in morarchal
in which the people have
but little part, and where the Ca
price of the majority is not tolerat-
ed, than they do in a republican gov
ernment such as We have in this
glorious land of ours.
There has been considerable dis
cussion of the Initiative, refundum
and recall of late. These proposed
reforms would enlarge the powers of
the people very materially and yet
they are fought by men who have
been called to high station by the
people. Governor Mann, of Virginia,
recently said he would decline to
hold office under a system that al
lowed the recall of officials. He went
on to say, "It would reduce the office
holder to the level Of a puppet. 1t
would make him a reed swayed in
the wind by every breath of public
prejudice. Such a position would be
unsupportable, and if it ever comes
to pass in my State l shall retire
from politics. I desire to have moth
ing to do with a system"
The Anderson Mail, which we be-
lieve claims to be Democratic news
paper and a believer in a republican
form of government, gives its en-
dorsement to what Gov. Mann says
and pronounces it sound doctrine.
The Newberry Herald and News, an
other supposed Democratic newspa-
per and q believer IN our republican
form of government, endorses what
Gov. Mann says as we'll as what the
Mail says about it, and says this
sounds very much like Gov. Mann
had been reading The Herald and
News" and s,eeringly goes on to
say, "Of course, it Is good Democrat
ic doctrine. All this stuff about what
we call recall of judges is the worst
kind of political rot"
The Times and Democrat does not
agree with the Mali that it is sound
doctrine 10 deny the people the right
to recall judge or any other off,
cial that fails to do his duty, nor
with the Herald and News that "all
this stuff about what we call recall or
Judges is the worst kind of politl-
cal rot" If the people have sense
enough to elect governors, congress
men, senator's, and other officials OF
high and low degree, they surely
have sense enough to sustain officials
when they do right or recall them
when they do wrong. So far as we
are concerned we would much rather
rust the "caprice of the majority"
than the caprice of one man,
whether he be a judge or some other
official.
A caprice of the majority may
have elected Gov. Blease to the high
est Office in South Carolina, but The
Herald and News would hardly claim
for that reason that the people can
not be trusted to exercise political
authority over all officials. Neither
would The Times and Democrat. The
fact that the people did not do in
that case what The Times and DEM
ocrat would have done, is no evidence
that the people did not do as we'll as
The Times and Democrat could have
done in selecting a governor. Now
then If the people Of South Carolina
can elect governor, we fail to see
where it would "be the worst kind OF
bolticai rot" to discuss the propriety
Of giving them the right to call down
a bad Judge. The Mail and The Her
aid and News ought to learn to trust
the people more.