i68 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



NOMINATING CANDIDATES. 



BY W. F. MARKS. 



A Plan that will give all an Opportunity, yet Leave 

 Two Candidates for each Office. 



"IvCt the people rule" 



T HAVE read your editorial relative to 

 i the nomination of candidates for 

 Directors and General Manager of the 

 National Bee-Keepers' Association, also 

 in reference to buttons for members of 

 said Association. I wish to endorse 

 what you say in reference to the buttons. 

 I would emphasize the fact that they 

 should be small; and would suggest 

 that, upon delivery, there should be a 

 stipulation that if the recipient omitted 

 to keep up his annual dues, said button 

 must be returned to the Association. 

 The reason for such provision is apparent. 

 I do not know as I just approve of your 

 suggestion to send such button to each 

 member, indiscriminately, but would 

 suggest that all be notified of the fact 

 that there were such buttons, and that 

 all those members who would like one 

 could have it by making a written appli- 

 cation for it, with a declaration that if 

 the recipient omitted to pay his annual 

 dues said button would be returned to 

 the Association. This I think would 

 prevent imposition. I believe such a 

 button worn extensively by the members 

 would maintain and create interest in the 

 Association and induce many, who are 

 now indifferent, to join. 



As to the nomination of candidates for 

 office, any provision for this purpose, be- 

 fore becoming effective, should be ap- 

 proved by the votes of the members and 

 embodied in the constitution. I think 

 that some plan J or twminatifig candidates 

 is desirable, but I must say I do not ap- 

 prove of the suggestion that these nom- 

 inations be made at the annual conven- 

 tion. This is a long step backward; 

 everyone knows how the average conven- 



tion is run. The objections you mention 

 are not overcome by the nomination of 

 more than one candidate. The fact still 

 remains, they are the candidates of the 

 convention, and not of the great major- 

 ity of members who have had no voice in 

 the nomination, and could not have with- 

 out going to considerable expense, and, 

 many times, great inconvenice, to at- 

 tend the convention. And right here let 

 me say, and I say it without the least re- 

 flection upon those who attend the con- 

 ventions, that many of our most worthy 

 members seldom, if ever, attend a Na- 

 tional Convention. The President, Vice 

 President and Secretary, composing the 

 Executive Committee, are elected an- 

 nually by the members present at the 

 convention. That is enough power for 

 the convention, composed perhaps of 

 less than one-eighth of the total member- 

 ship. // should have no more. It should 

 not attempt to name all of the officers, 

 which it practically would do, if it made 

 nominations, no matter whether there 

 were two or more candidates. 



You called for objections, and perhaps 

 a suggestion would be out of place, but 

 I will add, I gave this subject, at one 

 time, considerable study, and I was un- 

 able to devise a plan that was entirely 

 satisfactory. The constitution requires 

 that the annual election shall be held 

 during the month of December. I would 

 suggest that the constitution be amended, 

 naming the month of October for nomin- 

 ations. That previous notices of such 

 fact be published in all the bee periodi- 

 cals annually during the month of Sep- 

 tember; in order that each and every 

 member of the Association, during the 



