Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-10-25
COUNTRY PEOPLE,
HELP CITY FOLKS

rHGAh VII VEhkO
While city voters may be sufficient
ly interested in the proposed amend
m ent of the Constitution providing
that Comm issioncrs of the Revenue
and Treasures of cities be rendered
eligible to succeed themselves in
office, it is said that many citizens of
the rural districts are comparatively
indifferent to the matter. This is an
unfortunate condition, because it is
Of vital importance to the counties of
the State as well as the cities that
the question at issue be settled in
conformity with the demands of
sound public policy. The city treasur.
er is State oflice-so is the city
commissioner of the Revenue, and in
the degree that they are faithful and
competent and efficient, are the
States revenue interests the more
safely conserved The attention,
therefore of Virginia's rural popula-
ton can properly be invited to the
pending amendment and their favor
able consideration of its merits in
vokcd.
The amendment simply proposes to
give the peop of the cities the right
now enjoyed by the people of the
counties. to re-elect or defeat their
commissioners of the revenue and
treasurers as they may desire. And
the purposes behind the amendment
is to promote and safeguard the best
interests of the public. Where officers
such as they have through experience
and industry mastered the details of
their positions and are performing
their duties to the satisfaction of
their constituencies, it seemss singular,
indeed, that people should be denied
the right to continue them in office.
In the event they are unfaithful or
Incompetent, the remedy lies in the
| fiat of the people spoken at the polls.
If it be so that the people are in
capable of making the necessary dis
Grim nation, then we answer that the
people are incapable of self-govern-
ment. The voter in the country can
and should in good conscience resent
such an imputation--so can and should
the city voter.
The friends of the amendment ask
that it be adopted so as to at once
relieve the city voter from a restric-
ton of his suffrage rights in city's
two very important officers, and thus
put him on an equality with the
country voter. They point to the fact
that experience is an essential quail
ficaion in the discharge of the duties
of the positions, and that unless the
amendment is adopted, the acquire
ment of experience by treasurers and
commissioners of the revenue for
cities, is constitutionally inhibited.
They urge that the doctrine of local
self government demands that the
electorate of cities shall have the
privilege of electing whom they
please to administer their fiscal
affairs. They insist that in last analy-
sis the vital consideration that is now
at issue has to do with businesses :;
that a business proposition is at
stake; that the business affairs of
cities and of the State, require that
treasurer or if commissioner of the
revenue has rendered efficient service,
and is better qualified for the office
by reason of experience, than any
other citizen lacking experience could
well be, then the Constitution should
not, as in unamended form it now
does, prevent the people from re-elect-
ing the man whom they are convinced
is the most thoroughly equipped for
satisfactory service. That is all.
That's the case as the advocates of
the amendment see it and 1T seems to
us that the counties should turn in
and help to remove the burden of in
eligibility from citizens who desire to
offer for officers, and of disfranchise-
ment of voters in electing their pub
lie servants. You have happily es-
capped that injustice. Mr.. County
Voter-help US city folks to escape
it, TOO, by voting for the amendment
,ere discussed--and by reminding
your neighbors of the Importance Of
doing likewise,