The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-07-05
NOT A VESTED RIGHT

There is an anonymously un-Amer
erican idea, that in some inscrutabl'
way and manner has been permitted
to premeate the official and politica
circles of the country, that if maj
comes into possession of an office h,
becomes possessed of vested righr
thereto and his claims for continuance
are much stronger than those of any
new man for the same position.
This applies alike to both elective
and appointive offices. This idea has
become so prevalent that whenever al
appointive officer is supplanted, NJ
matter if the new man is better one
for the position, a certain class of in.
dividuals and papeds set up the cry
of modern political demagoguery.
All modern legislation and politica
movement has been devoted to the
Strengthening and safeguarding this
fungus Americanism of "Vestec
Right" in official position. Periods
between elections have been extended
salaries have been increased, innum'
cradle obstacles, to candidacy of new
men have been interposed and chilean
cry of political method has been ex'
hausted to make it easier for men al.
ready in elective positions to retair
their places and harder for new mer
to break into officia lposition.
Civil service regulations have beer
adopted practically insuring life ten.
ure in all appointive positions wher
once man has broken into the sacreo
circle of appointive officialdom, and
and official caste created which is
both undemocratic and un-American.
The true theory of American gov
eminent, that all official positions be-
long to the people has been supplant-
ed by the imported idea that the peo-
pie belong to the officials.
The Revolutionary war was fought
and this Republic was established as
a protest against the claim of "Vest-
ed Right" right in office and "Life
Tenure" in position. This modern
idea that a man when once placed in
a position acquires an inherent con-
tinuing right in that position is as
contrary to the fundamental principles
of popular government as Imperial
ism is to democracy.
Rotation in official position is an
to purity in public affairs
as current and movement is to purity
of water.
The idea that raan, simply because
he has been fortunate enough to be
elected or appointed to come office is
in some mysterious way endowed with
some peculiar qualifications to ad-
minister the functions of that office
better than any one else, is not only
to every principle of COM
mon sense, but is utterly adhorrent to
the doctrine of government by the
people.
The world today is plunged into a
war that is shaking the foundation of
the universe, because by far the great
er portion of Europe is, or was, gov
erned by men who ruled by right of
inheritance or possession and not by
virtue of qualification, or popular Sc
lection. The holocaust of destruction
that is now sweeping the earth and
engulfing it in the sombre mantel OF
woe and suffering has been brought
about by keeping men in official posi-
ton too long and for no other reason
There is not crowned head in Eur
ope who is life holder Of his ruler
ship, and who hopes to transmit this
rulership to his next of kin, who could
not be supplanted by subject citizen
and the government he directs or mis-.
directs, would be administered more
in accordance with the principles Of
justice and ethics of manhood equal
ity. Official inheritance Of official po
sition, and "Life Tenure" in office ART
relics of the barbaric past, when gov
eminent was based on the idea tina
the correct method Of rule was t
place absolute authority in the hand
of an individual and endow on him ex
elusive control of the lives, fortune
and rights of the governed, and tn
privilege of bestowing this right o.
his posterity.
That this archaic theory should b
permitted to permeate American JUL
| isprudence is lamentable, but that
does permeate it is unquestionable an
that it is increasing in strength an
power is certain.
That we have a competent, patriot
and faithful set of officials, from tn
President down, taken as whole,
conceded, but that there are outsid
of officialdom, thousands of men VIII
are just as capable, faithful and pa
triotic, and in many cases much NOR
so, is equally true.
Here in this state, we have nov
! and we have had in times past, off