Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-08-27
FOURTH TERRIERS
HARD HIT
VesDer State Center Editor Goes
After Them Hard

Here is what he has to say in
recent issue:
'The editor of this paper has al
ways held the conviction that two
terms OF office for county officials
doing purely clerical work was
enough hence we are unalterably
opposed to third and fourth terms.
1t would be a fit subject for legis-
lative enactment to limit all clerical
offices to two terms. There is an
unwritten law in vogue now in most
counties against more than two terms
and the incumbents OF the greater
number of offices comply with this
established rule without being told
to retire. The only class Of office
holders who violate this rule today
are people who hold their personal
selfishness above party principle and
party welfare There are precedents
galore to prove that the self-respond-
ing and party respecting office hold
ers invariably retire of their own
volition at the end of the second
term.
We have no quarrel to pick with
the officials about rights who are
continually forcing their candidacy
upon the people. They have a right
to be a candidate under the present
law. 1t is their privilege to hang
onto the public teat until they com
nit political suicide if they choose
such a final climax for their politi-
cal career. But it is bad politics.
1t is bad fer them to voluntarily
scrap heap. 1t is bad for the party
because they jeCpordize the safety
OF the party ticket. 1t is bad for
the people because they keep other
good men down.. because of their
political leverage on the inside.
It lis to be regretted that certain
officials in Wood County are seek
ing nomination for their fourth
term in the Republican primaries
1t is made all the more deplorable
because the voice of the people and
the party is against them. The PEG
pie as a rule do not like hangerson.
In the light of recent disclosures,
their call to become candidates nev-
er came from the people. Far be it.
On the contrary, their candidacy has
been actuated solely by their own
selfish ambition 1t matters not what
fool arguments they advance or Stere
otyped excuses they offer to justify
their position, the bald fact remains
that they are just taking a ga!mb--
ler's chance to slip one over ON the
PEG ie for another two years salary.
That is all there is to it.
There is little cheap talk about
! Tire efficiency" of these officials.
If they have attained the degree of
efficiency claimed their services
would be demanded by outsiders at
better salaries than Wood county
is paying. The greatest trouble in
the past has been that competent
public officials have been picked up
by outsiders at better salary than
the public offered. The only logical
conclusion then is self confession
ON their part that they aTn not big
enough to make the same or bigger
money elsewhere. This is not to
say that they are incompetent, but
it is to say that logic does not
prove their claim. We opine that
it. would be a sad calamity for them
to be relegated to the cold world to
see what the stuff they call ''effi-
cheney" really is.
Sound public policy as well aus
party welfare demands the elimina-
ton of all fourth termers at the
approaching primary. There is a we'll
warranted protest going over the
county against these political hogs.
The sentiment in several districts
has been sounded and it is over
whelmingly against continuous office
holding. One would marvel at the
fact that these people would an
nounce themselves in the face of
such sentiment 1t is the duty of
Republican newspapers to advise the
people ais to the facts in regard to
the feeling prevalent in the county
We have not made these state
ments carelessly. On the other hand,
this is just what We gained from
party men from all over the county.
Lest anyone thinks we might be
wrong in our conclusions, we invite
criticism through the columns of
this paper. On the other hand We
will agree to give a logical answer
to any question propounded in favor
of continuous office holding. is not
that fair proposition