The comprehensive reorganization legislation submitted by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell and endorsed by Gov. Mark Sanford would allow the voters to decide if they want the governor to appoint various constitutional offices. Those include the superintendent of education, the adjutant general, the comptroller general, the secretary of state and the commissioner of agriculture. Voters also would decide whether the governor and lieutenant governor would run together on a ticket, as do the president and vice president.

It's a mystery how committee members who oppose putting the method of choosing constitutional officers to the voters' test can insist that they really support administrative reorganization as proposed in Sen. McConnell's bill. In fact, many of the statutory elements of that bill would provide for the changes sought for the constitutional officers, if placed in the governor's Cabinet.

According to our news report, three senators took the lead in derailing the restructuring proposal on the same day the bill was sent to the full Judiciary Committee: Sen. John Kuhn, R-Charleston; Sen. Jakie Knotts, R-Lexington; and Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg. Consequently, proposals to change the method of selecting the lieutenant governor, the adjutant general and the commissioner of agriculture were removed.

The committee's partisanship was most evident when it decided to keep the appointment of the superintendent of education on the ballot. That position, unlike those that were removed from voter consideration, is now held by a Democrat.

Fortunately, the Judiciary Committee meeting was adjourned before the members made a further mess of the legislation.

Sen. Knotts, incidentally, was instrumental in halting a limited restructuring proposal some years ago when, as a House member, he led the effort to kill the proposal to eliminate the position of secretary of state. Reports at the time said he had a friend who was interested in running for the job, which Mr. Knotts then denied.

Sen. Hawkins, an officer in the state National Guard, has vowed to protect the political status of the adjutant general, who commands the Guard. South Carolina is the only state that elects the adjutant general.

Following a press conference Friday in which the governor and Sen. McConnell asked committee members to reconsider their position, Sen. Kuhn said in a statement that he will do so over the next few days, in consultation with his constituents. They should give him an earful about derailing the restructuring plan in committee. So should the constituents of the other Republican senators.

The governor and Sen. McConnell have made a compelling case for the most far-reaching reorganization of state government in more than 100 years. The voters should be given the right to have their say in the decision. It shouldn't be decided on the basis of job protection for any officeholder.