The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-05-20
CHARACTER in PUBLIC OFFICIALS

VI.
CHARACTER IN PUBLIC OFFICIALS
E4 On the subject of character IN pubic Oh
-fciaIs Clarence Poe. in The Progressive
Farmer has this to say
"An progress must be worked out through ma
man mentalities-through the men we select
as our congressman, senators, governors ana 10
members of our legislatures.
THE most important quality needed IN any Oh
+boso n,an Is character If a public official has
sterling honor and character, no deserving group
rich or moor need be afraid of him. If he lacks
character neither rich nor poor can depend on nl'
,a "Of course great many poor men feel that the
government has long been used to help the ricn 10
the disadvantage of the poor. Consequently they
are disposed to throw up their hats for some Wild
talking demagogue who denounces everybody else
and promises to cancel all debts to provide S2OO-a-
smonth pensions for all the old, guarantee impos
sibIe incomes to all families young or old. Ot
course some such men are sincere. But in great
proportion of cases, the who is willing to de-
ceive the poor in order to get into office will be
willing to serve special interests after he achieves
a the office. For example, Hitler year after year
made wild and wonderful promises to the poor
: farmers and laborers of Germany. But as George
A NNN'N-'~N
. whole of the program he sold to the German people
in 1880. That is the frequent record of unprinc-
: pied men, They first delude the poor to get power
I and then serve the rich to keep power.
: The foregoing presents a problem for
,, which the American people must find the
! solution, if any semblance of representa-
tive government is to be maintained. OF
. course, if the radicals are successful IN
Siforcing a Socialist dictatorship on the coun-
try, the people will then have nothing to
say about the character of the men in pub
lie positions; but let us take it for granted
that the country will recover from Its pres
ent violent attack of Socialism and tnar
representative government of the genuine
American character will be restored.
: In that case, in the years to come the
American people are going to find 1t abso-
htely necessary to good government and
the perpetuation of the representative sys-
tenn. tn Give more consideration to the char
acter of men placed in public offices than
thew have been doing in late years. Clar-
ence Poe rightly says that the most impOr-
--tant quality needed in any public official is
character. The man of character and hon
or can be trusted.
Most of the troubles of this country with
public officials have developed because the
men placed in public offices have been of
the character of Dictator Hitler They have
promised one thing to get elected and have
forgotten their promises and BETRAYED the
people after being elected. Other public
servants, supposed by the electorate to be
men of character, have demonstrated a
lack of character by forming alliances with
the lawless classes or by becoming the
servants of classes or special interests, with
the purpose of entrenching themselves ir
power
These defects in representative govern
1ment are weaknesses which must be guard
ed against by the people at the price o.
eternal vigilance but it will be necessary
to adopt new plans in selecting men fo
public stations. According to the presen
system the candidate goes out to promis
the people anything to get elected, con
cealing from them his real views and in
tentions. The people must rally to the de
mand that all candidates be honest an
candid in their prediction statements
Men of character will not try to fool tn
voters. Men who are deficient in charaett
will betray the best interests OF the Poop
and their country.
The old question as to whether publ
official ought to stand by his own convl