The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-03-29

HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE

If one desires to be fair he should II
not find fault with any existing con-
dition unless he is at least able to Of II
fer a remedy to correct those things Il
of which he complains. Likewise he
should be willing to assist in bringing
about better state of affairs. The
writer of the few following words
relative to the holding of public Office
is going to break both Of these rules. Il
In the first place he sees no way in |
which certain features Of public serv.
ice may be improved. Secondly, he
sees no way in which one individual |
may do any corrective work other
than through his vote and one mans |
vote is not an exceptionally powerful
lever.
People who complain that the af-
fairs of the town, the state and the
nation are not administered as
thoroughly and faithfully as they
should be fail to take into considera-
ton certain elements that have a
strong tendency to keep the more
competent, more enthusiastic and
more conscientious men out of public
Office An incompetent man may be
able to hold an Office longer than he
would hold down a job in civil life,
for the public frequently Is not so ex-
acting as the individual employer On
the other hand competent official
is subject to removal by any clique Of
voters whose i'll will he may have ac-
Quired in the performance of his
duty, He Is also at the mercy of any
other citizen who can rally support
enough at the polls to carry an elec.
ton.
A willing, capable employee is usual
ly safe from attack from the outside.
1t is not easy for another worker to
take the job away from the man who
holds it merely by going after it. Too
much time is required in training EN-
ployes these DAYS to change them
without good and sufficient reason
The worker who would ask an EN-
y ployer to discharge man just tt
make a place for the new applicant
would be laughed at \ man af ordi
nary common sense knows better
! than to make any such request The
\. man in public Office is in differen
d situation. Any citizen who can mus
e ter enough votes az the polls cal
u FIRE" the official, regardless OF how
= efficient he may be. The official, too
ID is at the mercy Of persons who desir'
to pay off private grudges. 1t i
rather difficult to have a man dis
charged from factory, a store or
udlh hl1iti9 bc'aNot Sob hoh LIN
. him. On the other hand you can <
out among the voters preceding a
" election, and frequently il you ar
"a skillful enough you can dispose @
+" the hated official and put another /
his place, And your motives may b
purely personal without any regar
2 to the Improvement OF the service.
J II is fortunate that there usual
are in every community certai
SIS. number of men who are so constitu
IN ed that they are willing to give
a. portion of their time and in man
no cases the best years OF their lives I
Ia public service. IN many instance
NC they are men who are to certai
am extent fattered by the honor OF b
Ing chosen from among their fello
DI' citizens. who have a liking for Il
an work and who rather enjoy the stri
on that the life involves. Were II II,
ne for men of this type, men who al
10 ready to endure the continual faui
ire finding OF fekle public, governmel
ub- management from the town hall
' . the capitol at Washington would
wn in a bad way.
As was stated in the beginning q
writer Is making a complaint f
which he offers no remedy. Perha
es. no remedy that could be offer
ire would be effective and perhaps
I'M INT change Of conditions is not dosirab
on At the same time It is believed tn
~ better service could he had in maj
mt public positions II tbs persons vi
hold them were not subject to alta
- and ultimate removal for purely n,
Iannnl ransom