[EM] Wilson-Pakula - an odd New York law

[Fred Gohlke]

Good Morning, Dave

re: "A bit of history from my county:

   County committee chair in one party got enough committee
   members to let him substitute for them to be able to hold
   committee meetings in a telephone booth if he chose to.

   When his doings created enough unhappiness, some members
   accepted responsibility for running for county committee
   office, got themselves elected, and the now ex-chair lost
   interest in the committee."

Do you offer this as an example of how a well-ordered community should 
interact politically?  I do not find it so.  It fails to address the 
fundamental question:  "By what right, constitutional or natural, does a 
'party committee' usurp the right to make political decisions for a 
community?"

The dangers of partisanship were clearly recognized over 200 years ago 
by the authors of our Constitution.  They were expressly described by 
George Washington in his 1796 Farewell Address, when he warned us ...

   "I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in
    the State, with particular reference to the founding of
    them on geographical discriminations.  Let me now take a
    more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn
    manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party
    generally.

    This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature,
    having its root in the strongest passions of the human
    mind.  It exists under different shapes in all governments,
    more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but in
    those of the popular form it is seen in its greatest
    rankness and is truly their worst enemy."

Having been warned, ought we not forestall the depredations of 
partisanship?  Are not the degradation of our national government in 
recent years and the horrors of our present financial debacle enough 
evidence of the depravity of party politics?  We certainly have the 
means to devise an electoral process based on reason rather than 
passion.  Do we lack the intellect?

Fred