The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-06

| days with the glory of steadfast COM
radcship.
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pUr ELECTIONS ABOVE SUSPICION.
Elections held in Richmond should
b free from the sl'ghtes, faint of
suspicion. That was the point for
which Captain w. NJ. Myers so vigor-
ously and rightfully contcndcd at the
meeting of the City Democratic Com
m'ttee Saturday night, when he urged
that the practice OF permitting city
he STOPPED at once. II the City Demo-
cratic Committee persists in permitting
such employees to participate officially
in these elections even more severe
condemnation Will be visited upon the
committee than ut present, so that de-
cent men Will mot serve on the COM
mittee. That was what Captain Myers
said. and he was altogether correct.
4 have just as much respect for
the employee of Il city as for the en-
ploye OF bank or business man."
said he. SO has everybody else. The
mere fact that a man IS city en-
ploye is nothing against him. There
are as good and honest men in the
city service as there are anywhere.
One old man Indignantly said Satur-
day night at the meeting that he had
served the city forty years. and thai
he had never been guilty of onsful
political activity. There are more like
I'm who have to suffer for the mis-
deeds of other city employees. who do
more work for the politicians than
they do for the city. Some of the
city employees, Doubtless. are coerced
into political work, when they prefer
TO remain neutral and 10 stick TO their
days work. Tho department head
who forces his men into pcrnicious
political activity is far moro to blame
than his sub rdnates, and his is the
head that should be Topped off first.
The Indictment that Tho Times-Dis-
patch has SO often drawn against the
city employees has been directed only
at those who voluntarily get together
and pull together for certain men
WHO have tried to get in good with
Them BY raising their salaries and
securing concessions for them. There
are other servants Of the city who are
not In tho combine, who are righteous
and honest men OF clean records and
clean hands and for these we have
nausht but high praise. The fact
that man plies broom on the city
streets is no reproach against him;
the fact that he drops it to further
the political interests OF this OF that
ward politician is
NO accusation of improper or cor
rnpt practices was made against tho
city employees by Captain Myers.
Various city employees served in the
primary last Tuesday. but there is no
evidence TO show that they arc
charSeable Wit, wrong. It's the looks
OF things that do the damage The
knowledge that these men serve ns
election officials gives rise TO the be.
lief on the part of many people that
the officials are working for tho I'm.
terests OF certain candidates and
against others. Suspicion Is created.
the election is regarded with doubt
ana d'strust, and the skirts OF tho
successful candidates are thought bv
many not to be clear from improprietv
and fraud. In this way honest cleo.
Ton officials and honest candidates
are u1jnstly viewed as wronedoers
rms belief causes popular distrust of
elections and men elected, and IS
largely responsible for the failure NJ
many good men to go to the polls
because these good men believe that
all elections arc crooked. ana all mo,
elected have darkly clouded titles to
office.
The Times-Dispatch trusts that tho
FERGUSON ordinance prohibiting CITY
employees from serving as election Of
hcers and from other pernicious no,i.
teal activity. Will be speedily passed
by the City Council. 1t may not al
together abolish the practice. and for
that reason the city Democratic Com.
mittee ut it's next meeting should do.
clare against it. The passing of This
malodorous defect will make for bet
ter cleaner and fairer political con-
ditions in Richmond. and will increase
the confidence of the people in those
who are responsible for the WORKINGS
of the election system.
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MAN NOT VALUELEss
No man Is absolutely worthless