Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-10-05
CHOOSING PUBLIC OFFICERS.


Under Democratic form of govern
ment there is nothing which should
give the people more concern than the
choosing of public officers. The sue
cess of the community depends very
largely upon the honest, intelligent
and efficient administration OF public
affairs. No matter how capable an
individual may be, he cannot succeed
in his business to the fullest extent
unless the laws by which he is govern
ed are wisely made and wisely ad-
ministered. Every person who owns
property, be it much or little, pays
taxes to the government, and upon
him who owns but little the burden of
taxation falls heaviest.
The money collected for taxes is in
tended to be used to give the people
protection in their rights of person
and property and for the carrying out
of enterprises Of public nature, such
as the building OF roads. Every tax
payer, therefore, has right to re-
quire that the public funds be eXpend
ed intelligently and honestly. SO that
he Will receive 100 cents of value for
every dollar he pays into the public
treasury.
A large amount is spent each year
in paying the salaries of officers and,
as it is paid out of the peoples money,
they have right to demand that those
to the people.
How our officers shall be chosen so
as to secure the best and most honest
service for the people is a matter
which has given this government a
great deal of concern from the begin
ming of its history down to the pres
ent time. OF course, we have always
had elections at which the people vot-
ed and thereby expressed their choice.
But the real selection of officers has
never been made in the general cleo
tons, where the choice is often mar
rowed to taking the lesser of two
evils. The character of our officers
and of the public service is determined
when the candidates of the respective
parties, or factions. are chosen. In
the early days of the American repub-
lie. although we had a nominal Demo-
cracy. there was a suspicion that the
people were not capable of choosing
their officers; that they did not have
! sufficient intelligence to really govern
| themselves. The result was, there
/ fore, that those of each community
/ who considered themselves better in
/ formed than their fellows got togeth-
! er in convention of the party. AS
/ confidence in the people has increas-
ed, conventions have been abandoned
and the people have been permitted tc
choose their candidates by means O.
primary elections.
Today the selection of candidates
as we'll as officers directly by the
people is universally favored. Abou
the only place in this state the OLE
convention plan of choosing officer:
is tolerated is in the Republican party
and the history of that organization
I cannot be pointed to with any parti
oular degree of pride by those wh'
favor the method it uses. Certainly
it does not demonstrate the wisdom o
conventions. 1t may sometimes hap
pen that a convention may be held tt
avoid the expense of primary cleo
, ton, but when primary has alread
been arranged the fact that persons II
convention assembled undertake t
recommend certain candidates to tn
people can only mean that these per
} sons do not have confidence in tn
F, ability OF the people to choose 10
themselves.
When a man becomes candidat
for office, whether voluntarily or a
, the urgent solicitation of his fellow
$ citizens in convention assembled tn
PEG pie have a right to demand. befor
; they consent to vote for him. that h
possesses the necessary qualification
to I'LL the office efficiently. 1t goe
: without saving that they must bcliey
j him to be man OF integrity, homes