Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-05-26
st.I.nIgn CANDIDATES

GtA96S6EhA AsAS ABkkglA9A A4ss
Most people throughout the NATION
and Of our own community will take
great pleasure Iii honoring any worthy
soldier who fought for our country.
and the canse ot humanity By sup
pexting linn for Duhlic office which he
ii III pable oG alling, but the movement
IN favor Df selecting soldiers for pub
tie oEfce wherever possible demands
much care and considerable discrimi-
nation
ii viii be found that not every soi-
der ii competent ID Ill an Office
merely because ne has had worthy
service Oh the field 81 battle nor Will
the practical politicians, who never
faiI u seize the opportunity d turning
any situation To their own advantage.
fail "a make nRa uf tile present cppor-
tnnity, and endeayor to secure. thrOngh
Ii, advantages which they want and
which the public Is growing more and
more tired of them having.
Ii IL hard to avoid the conclusion
that the politicians arc trying TO use
the returned soldiers as pawns In their
game. while the public ID demandiflgs
what ii always should demand, only
sAat public ogace should bs ailed by
the competent and worthy II there
ere anaong the returned soldiers men
qualified TO fill these offices most peo-
pie will BE only too happy 10 support
them for any which may be available,
hui they are moi ready 10 place Ia Of
zee one who has ne training or quail
fscatlon for Il. merely bccause Of a
cgealsable war RECORD.
Looking oh the matter from anosher
angle. such Efforts on the part of poli-
ticlans VII 30 regarded as i reflection
upon the soldiers. and the men theFn-
selves yin regard II as an effort hy
designing people to use them Tor self
ish ends. 80 man who has rlslSesi hia
lie and given bis best Without reserve
I'd Ms coantTys cause wants Ia feel
that be rnnst be paid for L tsy heinz
put IL afI Office No Ii not qualified 10
nll, while the rank and de vii resent
an effort to purchase their support By
selecting soldier candidate whom
politicians believe they can handle in
their own interests Men of.lhe aver
age Intelligence and character of the
American soldier and sailor are Aot
going 10 be fooled Iii this way nor Will
they 70 heard On masse because some
one If their number may be induced
10 permit himself 10 be used for such
purpose
The politicians may fool themselves
IL they make an attempt 10 use the
service mon Ia this way. They Will
and That the soldiers arc rather keen
81 perception. and viii see through
such attempas VERY clearly they will
saturday appreciate recogniticn Of
what their comrades have done. and
win be likely to show that apprecia-
ton III practical way. but Iii tho
long run. they are going % divide on
public questions md along party lines
much as they did before, and they are
not going 10 vsae Tor one og their own
nuInber. il he does not stand for tho
things III which they believe.
II there is among the men who have
fought this conutry's battles, those
Who are specially qualified Tor public
ogtice. IL viii he 4. proper and grace-
ful trlbate 10 them 20 permit the peo-
Ute 10 place theR there. bot any At
tempt to nominate them for positions
aor which they are nos ouaiiaad. will
Go resented ~ the voters. including
che men Of their own status As the
mattcr stands 1t present and It ii
particularly notable IN our own State,
tho movement Is clearly too much
along lines of expediency; the Rrac
alcal politicians are talking about sol
aler candidates. not because they wisla
ID honor them. bat because they hope
"a use them for their own ends.