El Palacio . ment that has so far resulted fromthe appointment of these officials is likelyto give way to a misgovernment evenworse than that which exiáted under theoíd syátem of direct election. However there seems to me to bea much more fundamental objection tothe mixed system. It is this: that theonly way in which real and permanentimprovement in popular government is tobe obtained is by improvement in thequality and aspirations of the body of ourcitizenry. In citizenship, as in anythmgelse, the best method is to learn by do-ing. Of rourse, if we are actually onthe way to the scrappmg of ou
El Palacio . ment that has so far resulted fromthe appointment of these officials is likelyto give way to a misgovernment evenworse than that which exiáted under theoíd syátem of direct election. However there seems to me to bea much more fundamental objection tothe mixed system. It is this: that theonly way in which real and permanentimprovement in popular government is tobe obtained is by improvement in thequality and aspirations of the body of ourcitizenry. In citizenship, as in anythmgelse, the best method is to learn by do-ing. Of rourse, if we are actually onthe way to the scrappmg of our long-held theories of democratic government,and to the substitution of class-govern-ment, the mixed system of choosingcounty ofhcials, or any others, is a stepin the right direction. In this paper, Iam holding no brief for point I am endeavoring to make isthis: If the democratic theory of govern-ment is to be adhered to; if our citizen-ship is to be developed into greater com- 90 EL PALACIO. O CQH U en Z cu QZ < O z en^¿U O o:: enCQ petency and higher standards, the mixedsystem oí selecting county officials isprogress backward instead of forward;\ve are securing better present govern-ment at ihe expense of our children andgrandchildren. The mixed system ofselecting governmental officials, certainlysach a system unaccompanied by a com- paratively easily workable recall, is mostdecidedly away from and not m the di-rection of that which we desígnate asdemocracy. In summary, then, am I correct in say-ing that the chief advantageof the mixedsystem of choosing county officials is apresent or immediate improvement in EL PALACIO 91 the calibar and efficiency of such offi-cials, and therefore, a present better-ment of couníy government; and ihatthe marked disadvantage is the pro-gressive deíerioration of the electoratefrom increasmg non-participation and non-mterest in the affairs of county govern-ment. IT IS WRITTEN Art anJ Archaeology for March. The Am
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