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Show j ! - INDEPENDENT VOTING. During the campaign which ha just been t brought to a dose by the election, we were some- t s limes amused at the political arguments put up i by partisans of one party or the other. For in nearly every political argument which we heard, i i there was no possibility in the minds of the dis- f putants that they might be wrong, and the other I party to the dispute right. That was impossible, ) f for both were so absolutely sure that they were I I right that thev would have staked almost their I - life upon their side of the question. I Probably never before in Utah politics was an I j equal opportunity given to the people to vote a 1 1 discriminating ballot, a ballot based on the issues ! , i! and the various representatives of the parties on I I the tickets as to their fitness for the offices to 'Is j which they aspired. During all the campaign we f I heard no one advocate the election of men on ; J their merits alone, though just what connection I I there can be between the tariff question or the bank I I j guaranty question and a local judgeship or a , . county office in Salt Lake county is beyond our comprehension, i . What difference can it possibly make if a eounty surveyor is a free trader or a high protectionist, protec-tionist, or whether a sheriff lelieves or does not believe in the guaranty of bank deposits? And " what possible connection can there be between the election of a Democratic or Republican president ; and the election of good and faithful servants on the board of county commissioners? Although it j r is probable that the great majority of people in herit their political partisanship, it does seem that I ' ; they could lay aside that partisanship long enough j , to permit them to determine in their own mind I ' that the administration of the affairs of counties I has nothing whatever to do with the administra tion of the affairs of the country, and that the Fcttlement of the tariff issues will not make for an ; economical administration of the affairs of the county. !But that is one of Ihe peculiarities of politics poli-tics the country over. The captains beat their drums, and the people cast their ballots as their I partisanship rather than their good sense dic- I j tates. And we have all survived it. so it is prob- 1 ably not so bad as the independent voter would I' " have us believe. Maybe the best men get in that i way, anyhow. Lot us hope so, at least. |
