Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-10-10

that in 1910. thirty-eight counties and
thirteen cities for this amendment.
while sixty counties and seven cities
voted against it, and thus defeated it by
a majority of i,514 Then the Tines
Dispatch proceeds 70 argue that if re-
versing that verdict now the people viii
indicate that popular sovereignty Is de-
throned and vicious Plunderbund plsc-
ed in the seats of the mighty? We
must confess inability to grasp the
force of this logic. The people are as
intelligent, as patriotic, as alert TO their
interest in 1912 as they were in 1910.
Ii they were not misled by the form of
! submission in 1910 they can repeat their
verdict thereon in 1912. So why the
Indignation of the Times Dispatch? Is
1t afraid to trust the people? Is it fear
tul that in two years the people have
lost In sanity or IN self.respect? Does
1t apprehend that the people because
given an opportunity to vote again upon
this question, will become & disgraced
set of freeboOters?-a venaI gang Of pir-
ates?-a surpine aggregation Of traitors
of the common veal? No? Then why
this commotion? The Legislature set
tied nothing finally. The Supreme
Court settled nothing. Nothing has
been settled. Nothing can be settled
unless or until the people settle it.
"As quite obvious matter Of fact.
city treesurers and commissioners Of the
revenue in Virginia cut but an incon-
sequential figure in the present situa-
ton. The people Of the cities are more
directly involved, more directly affect
ed, more directly concerned than the
| present office-holders. They-a large
number of them-a majority Of them.
according to the 1910 vote, believe that
| experience enters into the qualifications
OF city treasurer or commissioner of
the revenue as important, and in many
cases, as a controlling consideration
/ The functions Of the office in question,
are essentially of business nature-they
are related directly to the business af-
fairs of the city and state-they repre-
sent the tax-assessment the tax-coilect-
ing arm of government, and efficiency
in their administration can be best &C
quired by familiarity with the details
thereof, which in turn can only be born
of eXperience-while ineiiiciency is often
the price of constantly changing The
incumbents of the Offices As We have
more than once pointed out, private
business undertakings reckon expert
ence as highly valuable attribute Of he
employe. By the same token it should be
true that such features Of public admin
istration as has TO do with its strictly
business features, ought not be arbtrar-
| lily deprived of experienced service
certainly the people of the city ought not
to be arbitrarily denied the right to re-
elect an experienced, faithful. altogeth-
er competent business agent, if they
desire to do so. This is all that is in
vOlved in the case at bar. The pending
constitutional amendment, if adopted,
insures re-election to no treasurer or
commissioner Of the revenue. II only
insures the supremacy of popular sover-
eignty-it only insures the privilege of
the voters TO choose whom they Will for
their officers; it only provides against
the straight jacket politics. Under it's
terms, any one who 50 desires may be-
come a candidate for these ofiices-any
unfaithful or unsatisfactory officer nay
be defeated at the polls. 1t simply puts
the incumbents upon the same footing
with their fellow citizens.
The matter, to be sure. is Of state
concern as we'll as Of city concern. The
force of this proposition is fully recogrjz-
ed fully conceded. But we take it that
the people of the state having voted to
remove the ineligibility discrimination
from county treasurers and commits
siOners of the revenue, will not be dis
posed to withhold ike action with refer
ence to city ofiicers-that they will not
likely say to the county people: You
may re-elect commissioners aud tre-
asurers.' and to the city people, yol'
shall do no such thing To thu dis
pose of this question does not seem
logical-nor Go we believe that this sort
of disposition will be given it, Rather
Is it probable that the county voters
will note that in 1910 thirteen Virginia
cities voted to permit city treasurers
and commissioners of revenue to succeed
themselves, and only seven voted
against such permission, and combining
considerations of local self-governmont
with those of popular sovereignty, tn ey
will overwhelmingly endorse the pro
posed change in the state constitution "