South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-05
REP. HAGERTY AND HIS DEFENSE
OF NEPOTISM.


That must have been an entertain
ing performance that showed up on
the floor OF the house Of representa-
tives at Indianapolis. Tuesday. with
Rep. Charles A. Hagerty and Demo
cratic Floor Leader John A. Branna-
man, prodding each other with
tongues Of fire. 1t was an interesting
subject for debate at that. NepOtism,
as the conversion Of a public Office
into a family worship. is sometimes
called was the principle at stake. We
are inclined to agree with Rep.
Hagerty that while the practice OF IL
IS bad political taste, the positive abo-
lition might sang so lar the other
way as to defeat its very purpose. and
form The basis Of other evils that
would t,e even worse.
Really there is no particular reason
why a man elected TO public Office
shoul6 insist, where he has appoint
ments to make. upon taking all of his
relatives into the office with him. The
people elected him, not his family.
Neither did they elect. in the absence
/ OF announced promises, whoever else
he might appoint,-which is exactly
| where Rep. Hagerty stepped in. not
i in defense of the practice. but in op-
position 10 the prohibition Of it. scent
! ing therein a hindrance that might
make for inefficiency, rather than for
efficiency.
There are possibilities, indeed, prob
abilities. that a mans relatives with
efficiency on the average, would try
about as hard to assist him TO a sue
cessful administration of his office, as
appointees from outside his family
would. There at least ought to be an
element Of family pride in such
family affair. Why render 1t impos-
sible, for instance. for a public official
10 employ his own son, or his own
daughter. to do his work. if he has the
confidence in them. and the control
! over them, TO get them to do it?
Surely il would be better, or at least
just as good as the other horn of the
dilemma, which would make of every
public office another pie counter for
j ward henchmen.
Therein lies the danger of the abo-
ltion OF this socalled nepotism. We
think Floor Leader Brannaman must
have overlooked the point. He must
have been so anxious TO take crack
at some of the occupants of the
state house. or perhaps of the county
building or city hall back home, that
ne pever counted the cost from the
other angle at all. BY scattering the
forces of public employment, anti
nepotism could be made one of the
most powerful factors in the upbuild-
ing Of political machines, that it is
possible TO conceive Of II would
mean the extension of the spoils sys-
tera to as many political workers as il
could possibly reach, but public office
exists for public service, after the
campaigns are over. rather than as oil
= manufactures for the next campaign.
Rep. Hagerty was very right in
Il taking the position that he did, critics
TO the contrary notwithstanding. And
he seems TO have carried TIE house
along with him-a vote OF "a 10 II
being a very presentable showing 1t
may be that he ought not have taken
Floor Leader Brannaman SO severely
TO task. but for whatever mistake he
made in that particular, Brannaman
talked back just as saucily, so that
phase Of it can pass off quite even.
We are glad that the anti-nepotism
bill failed. and that Rep. Hagerty
contributed so literally 10 its failure.
Had it gone through; we'll. there are
cases. even locally, where it might be
better IL the employees were all rela-
tives OF the officials.