The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-12-22
A. BETTER RULE.

Hon. j. VIM. Thurmond IS ABOUT TO
lose his place as District Attorney for
this district, it is stated, because of
the fact that Senator Dial would not
vote for his confirmation at the last
session of Congress. There was no
complaint, so far as we understand
matters, that Mr.. Thurmond was not
performing his services as District
attorney in a satisfactory manner.
The fact is that he was making a
first class officer, and his previous
term in Office had given him the ex-
;perience which justified the expecta-
ltion that he would continue to serve
,the government acceptably.
The reason which Senator Dial as
isigns, as it is now stated, for his op:-
position to Mr.. Thurmond's appoint
iment was that Mr.. Thurtnond had
mot been a political supporter of his
lat sometime in the past, and we be-
lieve that he also states that at the
death of Senator Tillman Mr!:,Thur-
imond voted to allow others to enter
the race for United States senator.
This Mr.. Dial takes as lick at him,
ION the ground, we suppose, that if
Iother men had been allowed to enter
ithe race he might not have been nom-
iinated. A good many men, it will be
remembered, wanted to 60 to the
, United States Senate at THAT time,
but several refused to enter the dem
ocratic primary for that Office out of
prospect for Senator Tillman, who. had:
rendered long and valuable services
ito the state and government. A good
many people thought he should die
in Office. When he died during the
campaign with no strong candidate in
the race against him, and after the
lists We're closed, Mr.. Dial knew be-
ing in the race, that he had walk
over if nobody else entered.
Whether Mr.. Thurmond, if he fav-
ored allowing others to enter the race
was right or wrongfon the question,
need not now be discussed. There
was a good deal which might have
been said on both sides of the ques-
ton. But, certainly, his position in !
that matter had nothing to do with |
his fitness for the office to which he
has been appointed. Mr.. Dial as the
senator from South Carolina follow
ed a bad precedent in insisting that |
one Of his friends be appointed to
that office. He had the power, but
we deny that he had any moral right,
to refuse to allow Mr.. Thurmond to ;
be confirmed as district attorney, or
to insist on the appointment of some
other person, because the one was
not political supporter of his, and
the other was. If that is the kind of
politics which Mr.. Dial practices, we
think he is on the wrong road.
We. d not know that the govern
rnertt iEsllll'4 lose anything if.Mr. Thur
mond is not confirmed. 1t is stated
that lawyer who is a republican !
will be appointed to the Office, but
that will matter little if he performs
his duty faithfully. Personally we
would like to see Mr.. Thurmond con-
firmed, but we would not oppose the
appointment of any man who might
be named for the office on account Of
political affiliations. The country
needs faithful service in all Offices,
and man should be appointed to Of
flee on account of the services he is
capable of rendering and not as pay
ment for political obligations.
We commend to Senator Dial and
all other office holders an editorial
from Mondays New York Herald on
this subject. 1t lays down a better.
rule, we think. 1t is as follows:
"The Place Hunters"
eff The New York Herald were a
person instead of newspaper, and
as person were the President of the
United States, it would say to the
two or three million place hunters
that thS Government has no jobs
open to them.
1T would say that the Government
will coll +o ;fc carv;no op1,, c,,ob MAN