The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-05-18
a FRIENDLY LETTER
To Our Worthy Friend r. G.. OImsted i,
County LnHge.


MY DEAR OLD BoY:-Having repeatedly call
ed your attention to an outrage perpetrated
on an unfortunate orphan girl the law placed
under your protection. without eliciting more
than shrug of your manly shoulders in reply,
l began to fear some for your own personal
comfort and safety. An official who can stick
to techncalities and decentralization in the dis
charge of his official duties with as much ten
ac1ty as you display, is apt to strangle himself
in the meshes of his own red tape. A calamity
of this kind would entail a great loss to our
county, and ought to be prevented. Actuated
by this, and no other. motive, l took occasion
to gently disturb the sweet tranquility of your
leisure by tickling your car bit through the
columns of my own paper, the Journal. In
the last issue of your Pilot you feel called upon
to respond, and acknowledge my kindness in
your usual happy ana tasty style. Aside from
all complimentary illusions to myself, must
confess you have succeeded most admirably in
showing up your side of the story; but there
are two sides to Il penny, too ought to be al
lowed toss, and if there is a head on my cop
per, see if it won't fall up. Your exposition in
the case of the Italian organ-erinder is elegant
clear, and to the point. If possible, and your
modesty admit it, it ought to be spread upon
the probate docket as an immortal reminder to
future generations of one OF the finest and most
elaborate decisions ever rendered. No one
could have done better. Since you are prone
to decide knotty questions on supposed prem
ises it wouldn't look clever to branch off on
actual facts, SO waving all privilege, L humbly'
succumb to your better mode and adhere to the
same train of logic. Let us suppose. Suppose,
Tennie, the people of Manitowoc county had
seen fit to elect one Of those sleek gayly -adorn-
cd ornamental wooden figures you see at the
shop doors of our cigar manufacturers to the
important Office of County Judge-the most inc-
portant within their gift. Suppose that by
some accident this wooden warrior should hap
pen to be informed that the guardian or guar
dams brother of the poor unprotected child in
question had seen fit to hitch the girl to his
plowshares, and By the sweat of her brow till
his fields; suppose, further, this wooden official
should with his own eyes see the girl abused
and shamefully outraged-remember, Tennie
we are merely supposing-and then turn dis
tractedly about and whine for some one to
come and swear out an affidavit to afford him
an opportunity of doing his duty-what would
you think of him? Think of him? You wouldn't
think at all. Knowing your noble nature as
do, feel quite positive that you would walk
up to him, despoil him of his wooden treasures
and kick him higher than GilderOy's kite that s
what you'd do.
Now, TeHnie, it may seem all right and prop
er under present circumstances to crawl in be-
hind some tencts of law; it may look satisfac-
tory to you TO stand idly by yourself, stroke
your royal proportions and sigh that you can
not jump statutory provisions, but it don't
look SO to others.
You know what superstitious world it is we
live in, how some people pirate and cant about
Higher Lava law that is supposed to be
written, not in statutes, but in the heart of ev-
cry honest man. woman and child. Some even
go far enough in this heresy to insinuate such
law to be implied in statutory law though not
expressed in words. Nonsense! Our laws, as
they are made for us at Madison, are the null
tHm in pa'U0, and you are perfectly justified in
sticking to them as tenaciously as you do to an
Office. Eat withal, don't you think there might
have been just leetIe place found somewhere
from behind the entrenchment of your august
law from where you could have peered out at
the poor orphan girl and recognized n wrong
that might have been righted? 1t occurred to
me- passing, that if you had but evinced the
shadow of a wish to protect this unfortunate
child you might have done so without 81 great
amount of trouble. Realizing, as do, that
your own personal comfort is ever paramount
TO all other considerations, hardly anticipated
that you would burden yourself with the re-
SponSibility of driving out over rough roads to
look into the affairs i'll person, no indeed! but
| did think there official pride sufficient in
YOU to have cited the girls guardian and the
child itself before the majesty of your tribunal
and then by II few simple questions satisfied
yourself that there is something rotten in Den
mark This, am sorry to say. Jennie, you
have not done. i can't find time just now to
argue points of law with you. In fact don't
know anything about law as ii is. An inSg
nificant brainless. little scribb'er such as am,
wouldn't stand much of a show in this line of
business alongside of so noble IL Roman you
are. So what's the use. Since your allusion TO
the organ grinder and myself supposable
trick-mOnkey, have been in mortal terror of
being gobbled up at any moment. must there
for hurry up cakes and reduce little mat
ter of difference to as simple form possible.
In the case which now dist,nbes your judicial
equanimity there is an outrageous wrOHg clearly
apparent. Where there is n wrong there ought
to be a right. Now if You don't know how TO
gnaw through the tangle of your red tape suffi-
ciently to suggest n remedy, don't rely wholly
upon your own infalibiity, but do condescend
to ask some one to help you out of the dilem-
ma. Y on needn't ask me, you know, but select
counsel from among some of the other boys
that are reading law here IN town they won't
charge you for it am quite sure You ought
never to forget that you were elected to do
something for the general good, and ought not
to Shirk so trifiing q little thing as the affair
which has now given me the big head and you
some trouble. / am well aware that your sal
airy is inadequate an ! not commensurate with
the amount of services You render, but such as
it is, it is paid you cheerfully and promptly and
on that account ought to be e Titled to a little
consideration in return. Those halcyOn days,
when officers were apportioned out to political
labOrerS the wine and oil fairly earned in
campaign services in this county are over with
You can't get a first grade teachers certificate
for q niue-pOund turkey to-day. Somehow
the old democratic style of adjudicating things
has gone into diSrepute even with democrats
and the people begin to insist on the necessity
of having the duties of some offices properly
discharged Don't forget this. What l have
here said, old boy, is said in all kindness. have
nothing against you personally, am not can
didate for your Office nor in the service of any
one aspiring to that honor. Were you Re-
publican instead of a Democrat, should have
felt called upon to express myself more to the
point than have. There is no reason why this
little difference between you and myself should
take the shape of political controversy. 1t is
my humble opinion, that if there is county
office, which, above all others ought to be taken
out of the political arena, and the election of
its occupant based ON the merits, qualifications,
character and sObriety of the candidate, it is
the Office you now hold 1 think you know
that am not hide-bound party servant, and
if an opportunity should offer itself, may have
occasion to show you how the Journal can OPP
pose worthless republican candidate for office
and show its preference for a better man, no
matter TO what party he may belong. Enough
for the present. If there is no offense in it, to
Your dignity, permit me to subscribe myself
Very truly yours,
FRED. HEINEMAN
In MEMoRIAM.-Edwin Gould was
born near Utica, N. Y, in 1905; removed