The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-10-12

| chairman Of each of the three political
parties casting the greatest number
/ of votes for governor at the last pre-
. cedng election. II creates a county
/ election board consisting of three mem
bcrs, one of whom is named by the
county chairman Of each Of such three
| political parties. 1t creates a precinct
/ election board in each election pre-
/ cinct In the state composed of three
members, one OF whom is designated
by the county chairman OF each Of
such political parties.
These members thus appointed are
subject 10 removal at any time with
/ out cause by the chairman who ap-
points them. They may be removed
TOR misconduct by the courts. This
proposed law is subject to criticism in
| the following particulars:
1T is a fundamental principle Of
our republic that the majority has the
right TO rule. All Of our great issues
are settled by the majority. When u
majority of the people have spoken
and have selected officers for the Unit
ed States or for the states, these Of
liccrs have right to exercise the
functions of government and they are
responsible to the whole people under
Ian fhair ,f al
fee. This so-callcd fair election law
takes away from the majority of the
people the control OF their elections
and puts this control into the hands
of the two minority parties 1t makes
no difference how small a vote is east
by the minority parties They may on.
ly east ten per cent of the vote respec-
lively and yet this combined 20 per
cent would control as against the ma
jority of so per cent.
II will be noted that the state cleo
tiOn board, the county election boards |
are without exception appointed by |
men who do not hold public office, |
and who are not responsible to the /,
people of the state. The state chair |
man of the socialist party does not !
hold state office The same is true !
Of the respective chairmen Of the re
publican and democratic parties. They
hold partisan positions. They are not
responsible to the people for their po-
sition, but to the political organiza-
lion which they represent They do
not represent the people, but merely
4 political section of the people They
exercise no public tunction-no public
rust They are not subject to the con
rol of the people. They are mere
,artisans at the head Of a political or
for political purposes. They
10 not operate under the restraints Of
,ublic office, or public oaths. or re-
to the public They are
,artisans and not officers.
This amendment not only gives
hcsc partisan chairmen the power to
lamc their election officers in the
tate, but it gives them the power of
emoyal at any time and without
auso II a precinct election officer ,
ppointcd by the socialist county chair I
nan does not obey orders, the socialist
ounty chairman can remove him and y
ppoint partisan socialists who will
hey orders. So Of republicans and O.
omOCrats Thereby the amendment +
.ohs to place the control of the cleo 4
ions of the state in the hands Of ir-
asponsiblc men that is, men who h
old no public office and who are not d
'sponsihlc to the people as a whole v
"lf there is anything fundamental
j our system OF government, it is that
man when elected to office execute,
trust and that his duty is to the
hole people and not merely to the 4
lrty which elects him In other words
that public office is a public trust
.crc. however. the so-callcd election
idccrs are not public officers at all,
! that their responsibility is not to
he public. They are merely partisan
gents, and the power of the respcc-
I've chairmen 10 remove them makes
hem ausvcrablc to the head of a po-
tioal organization and not to the peo-
De-, or their communities, or to the
tate.
1T gives a job To one socialist in cv.
ry precinct in the state, regardless Of
lc number of socialist votes There
nay be only one socialist in the pre-
met and yet he gets the job. although
here may be hundreds of republicans
nd democrats lie not only has a
'b but he holds it subject to the will
{ the socialist chairman. and wholly
agardless Of the people of his precinct
here are $3.50 election precincts in