Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-11-03
TOO MANY ELECTIVES.

NSASSNo VI W. Cu0CAl1O1ld1 oySLSli Ia
that the higher courses permit too
many electives. There is probably
good basis for the assertion.
Most people who have passed
through the ordeal OF a general cleo
ton are willing to admit at least for
the moment, that our political system
provides for too many electives.
We have planted ourselves on the
principle that the people do and ought
to rule. And, in our adherence to
that principle we have undertaken to
provide for the doing of more and
more things by the people individual
~ and directly, leaving as few things
as possible to be done by those whom
the people choose to represent them.
The stockholders of a business cor
poration meeting annual session to
provide foI the operation of the en-
suing year.A Suppose that in addition
to electing a board of directors they
ais choose the president, secretary,
treasurer and general manager. Sup
pose, further, that they elect the heads
t ~StS0A sAAACA4Ao
foremen. and so forth, and then pro-
coed to tie each official down with a
set of rigid rules and regulations. In
that we should have something ap-
preaching a parallel to our method Of
running a government.
The corporation doesn't do it that
way. 1t elects a board of directors,
perhaps makes decisions on a few
highly important matters of policy,
and lets it go at that. The directors
do the rest.
Corporations are managed in about
this way because it has been found
many years experience that un-
der thai system the stockholders. who
the property and who are vitality
interested in its successful
ment, obtain the best results,
In our state government we elect a
governor and a dozen or so other
state officials who may or may not
be in harmony with the governors
policies. We expect certain things of
the governor. and W may explain his
failure 10 deliver by saying that the
attorney general or the railroad COM
misstoners wouldn't let him. We de-
mand certain thangs Of the secretary
OF state or the treasurer, and they
may explain that the governor or the
auditor o~bstrudted.
We vote, necessarily, for 4 lot If
candidates whom we do not know,
whom we have never Q whose
names we " heard untn the am
pafgn began. and with whom duties
II they are elected, we know next to
nothing.
We have created a system which
We find it impossible to follow, by
providing for the separate election Of
a lot of people to perform separate
duties, and we proceed to the best
of our ability to destroy that system
by considering u candidates. not as
individuals, but in groups.
In the recent campaign the issue
has been between two types Of govern
ment and two contrasted policies. We
lave grouped the candidates on one
i or the other Of this issue. That
is logical. as far as it goes, but the
plan has the defect that in the actual
ballddng our votes have been cast for
individuals. The personal element n
ters and affects the voting on our
particular candidates, with the prob
able, and almost inevitable result that
we build for ourselves a state admin
istration that is not a unit on any
thing.
In his description Of the sturdy and
individual whom he con-
ceived to be typical of the English
of his day, Washington Iry-
ing describes his subjects love for the
of his country, and says
that he clings affectionately to many
because they are good old
English abuses. W. conceive our
to be filled with tho spirit of
democracy. and We cling to what we
believe to be the form Of democracy
IN some things, our multitudinous |
election system among them, which
tend to defeat the essential purpose of
democracy, which is to secure the
practical and effective expression OF
the settled judgment Of the people on
subjects to which the people have
been able to give intelligent consid.
Grafton.