Selections: Election Of Public Officers
During the sosaion ol the taro Lgislature, ;i ii!l was Ãritrocliicsd io prov'de é'r eleoting the Auditor General, Cnminisshvter of Improvements, A Itorney Genera! &c. by the people.- Iliis of course involved 'he quesáon. whether "U stare ofïïcer onght tfo e!ecu-d by thepeople. rhe following reinks ol Dr. Dentón, of this Couniy, in ihe ëutó on the gcnetu! principie, will i'Hciest the readers. Mr. DentiT li'opicS llic bilà wnuld not be indefiniteljVs'P0"6''- ïS".eaa of about gena!cri, hc vvdffW cAan)hiine ihe morits of ;he r-5"lll'"n We all ogree tiiat ol! power etanates from the pcople; Uien wiij' liotilci .hev nol (X'-rcise ii immcdiately Ãh a democratie or rop'ib'ican form of goverr.mrni?- Wlion we emerged fnun a moiKirchml Ffrmof guvernment ive wcre a Tiitlc ?haiy ofihe exerci.e of onr posver. We con6equen:]y ei't a larjr.ï amouut of power in doposit, as il werp, to be callei' out whpn we wished. Aimoslall ihe States )!ft the elcction of Governor to an intermedÃate body- ihey hardly thouplit it 6nf '.o elect i.nmediattly - but, au, one Slate afier anot her lus givi'n t)iat tip. - Whewver it bas been taken bold of by the peo pie they have found the exerciee of power more for their own good than wiieivieft toan intermedÃate body. KÃjpugh Senator? may say ihis ha.s not been caüed for aE our hands by the peoplp, I, as ow ol tlie propio want it.- ,1'would liketo haveitin nW power to say in mf indivuhul cupocily a lar as iny vote goesï ho sháir tKXrn vbosa Siat' I;be' 1lieve in ihat mode the offices woaid be better ñ]ed iban they aré nöw. Nuw, Mr. President, à know that there has' iot been a single instance of this power being Ãive tip without a struggle. When it was proposed to elect j'.istieès of the peace, ïtWaa :on8dered by eonie o very unsafe proposition,iut that time hasgone by, and scárcely any" nan.wou'.d restore thal power to the execüive or a couneià of revisión. 'The people of Lhe severa! States have gone on from time' :o lime taking the power from intermeJiate bodies and Uanferred it to the ballofc 3ox, an in many of the Stetes all ihose offi-' jers are elected by the people. Ãn Ohio thelommissi'iners of the public worlrs are elected by the people- in the State of New York they are 60 eleeled. Jn many of the StflteBjevery State officer is eleeled. h is said, how would the policy bo i f we had an executivo of one politica! character and his cabinet an-other. Tbat, sir, raay happen, and has happened in the State of New York. We havO" sometimesa democratie Govemorand niegislatine of ifferent polÃtica! opmions. Id tha state of New York the Governor of the State' cannot appoint his cabinet. It is done by the legislatnre, it is as likely they may be of different poluics. There is nothing so preposleroii8 as an nrgurnent of that kirid. - à am opposed, sir, to such exeentive patronage. Here à can show the Senator from ibe' Uh, that it is the oÃd federal doctrihe to the' quick. There are about GOO officers in thir Slate who atc indebted :o the executive for the offices they hold. This omount of Exeautive influence is centralism- the re'icts of tederalisnu The Executive power may happen tü fal' ioto corrupt hands. lt wilt not nlways be kopt in tlie hands U has been in for the lastfour yenrs- immaciilate hnnd.?,it may be used fur self pnrooses. ïs there not more danger in this? TiiÃs has been the great objecti n by democrats againet federalism in every part of the Union. There is no" rcasonl whv those offleers should not be elected by theeople. It hns been found thal tbo&e officers nade by popular elecÃion are more pure than' vbeu appointed . Those who have an abidiog aith in democracy HselT, who coosider rt the rue theory of govefnment as of divine origin should not be ao shary of Us use. Every step we take in iis use wc stand sure and firra in; lt QX(ry step we take shows ds tliat self goVe ernment works weü ar.il we fihould not be afrakl of it. This is democracy, eir. Tbe qitestion was taknn on indefinito post ponement and carried- yeas 10, nay 4.
Article
Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News