The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-04-13
OTHER EDITORS
WE NEITHER NEED NOR
SHOULD TOLERATE
A POLITICAL BOSS
(Pamlico County Herald)


One thing for sure, our peaceful
county does not need a political
boss.
What is political boss? How
is political boss made? How does
a political boss WELD his power?
What is the danger from political
boss?
Usually a political boss is man
who sits behind the scenes and in
fluences the course of elections,
the placing of contracts involving
public money, the making of legis-
lation favorable to his group, the
punishment of anyone who opposes
him and, above all, the placing in
positions of authority on boards,
commissions and committees of
men and women of his choosing
to do his bidding.
In that way he controls abso-
lutely the expenditures of public
money. He makes or unmakes pub
lie office holders. He decides who
does and who does not get justice
in the courts. And through it all,
he becomes richer and richer.
A political boss always starts
from nothing. He usually starts
young at some lawless occupation.
Bootlegging during prohibition
was the opportunity seized upon
by many. Local option laws now
give chances to some to make a
quick dollar. Being without honor,
self-respect or family background,
an embryo political boss can take
chances with the law and the pos
sibility of serving prison term,
that more respectable and honor
able men would not dare or wish
to take.
He usually starts his career with
bribery, by buying off weak police
officials to cover up his first steps
into a racket. He finds other men
who are as ruthless and dishonor-
able as himself and they band
together under leader. Before
long a member of the gang gets
into public office.
The group becomes richer and
richer. They become possessed of
more money to spend to influence
elections. They begin to employ
more and more ruthless methods of
intimidation. They use perjured
evidence to hound opposition.
They seize complete control of
the law-making and law-enforce-
ment machinery of the community,
whether it be city, county or state.
They get control of the election
machinery. They flaunt the cleo
ton laws. They employ secret po-
lice to spy on their neighbors.
They use their Unto get next to
bargains in land or contracts.
They become tightly organized
and will not permit one not in
their gang to hold office. When a
decent citizen offers himself for
office, the decent citizen finds him
self not only opposed by the other
candidates for the office, but by
the whole gang who find their
stranglehold on the community
threatened by an honest man who
is unafraid or unintimidated.
The wise men who founded this
nation included in the Constitution
articles which would separate the
law-making, law-enforcement and
judicial departments of govern
ment, for to combine them means
tyranny. Combining the three de-
partments Of government-the leg
islative, executive and judicial
gives to the dictator at the top
absolute authority over his fellow
man.
1t is disastrous for the people
when one man or political boss
controls all three branches of gov
eminent. But when that one man
or political boss worms himself in
to the law-enforcement branch of
the government and also controls
both the lawmakers and judges
and juries, the condition is so
fraught with danger that men un-
der domination of such a tyrant
should risk their lives to regain
their freedom.
The people of county in North
Carolina should have complete
freedom in selecting the office
holders who are to administer their
government. Argument, election
eering, campaigning by the can
didates for office, fair and open
charges and counter charges all
these things are considered by
Americans as proper.
But when one tight little group
gets absolute control of a county
government, when money they col
lect from their wicked rackets are
SUont diSnanqirur favorc l;nr,o,. oud