The Dangers of 'Complimentary' Voting
An editorial critique warns voters that casting ballots based on friendship rather than merit has real-world consequences for Benton County's representation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
It is never quite the proper thing to indulge in 'we-told-you-so’s.' Nevertheless, we can but refer to the outcome of the contest for superior judge in this district. From the very beginning, this paper predicted that G. W. Hamilton would be the fourth man in the race and that his candidacy would only serve to defeat the best man and deprive Benton County of a place on the ticket. Mr. Hamilton received only 15 percent of the total vote, and M. M. Moulton was defeated by less than two percent. The 'complimentary vote' given Mr. Hamilton by his friends and neighbors put Benton County out of the running. Complimentary voting is a dangerous practice and one which, though it may be excused through sentiment, can never be justified by good sense. The business of selecting men to manage our public affairs, to enforce and interpret our law, and to administer justice is one in which sentiment should have no part.
“The business of selecting men to manage our public affairs... is one in which sentiment should have no part.”
This reflects the timeless tension between local populism and strategic, professionalized politics, a dynamic that remains central to primary season campaigning in Washington.
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