The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-01-22
RING DESPOTINJC.


II. NJ. Knox, furnishes very interesting
reading to those who take an interest
in civil service reform. During the
past year the Auditors of Renville and
Sibley counties. and the Treasures of
Kandiyohi, Martin and Scott counties
were suspended. The Treasurer of Nc
Leod county was sent to the peniten-
tiary for misappropriation of public
funds.
The Public Examiner seems to be,
therefore, a useful officer and we hope
that Ills Office and his labors will he
continued. He reports wretched
state Of book keeping. 1t is almost i'll
credible that the public business should
lie conducted as it is in many counties.
1.-The books,'' says Mr.. Knox, ARE
made from the settlements, and not
the settlements from the books.'
The conclusion Of the report is brac-
ing reading especially to those newspa-
pers, like the ADVANCE, which have
fought the old corrupt practices in pol.
itics and the formation of Rings where
by Il half dozen men rule u county from
year to year and dictate who shall be
nominated and elected to Office.
We may as we'll say to our readers
that we did not assist Mr.. Knox in pre-
pairing the conclusion of his report, but
one might think 50 who has bee1 a care
full reader Of the ADVANCE, for there
is hardly 4 sentence in Mr.. Knox COM
ments on county politics which las not
been uttered 10y the ADVANCE during
the past few years. OF Ring despotlsm,
lie says:
Has not this whole matter of choos-
ing our county officers been taken ell
tirely out Of the hands Of the people ut
large and relegated to the will of a self
CHOSEN few? There are lis yet too few
exceptions to the rule that a nomina-
ton upon the winning side is eauiya-
lent to III election. The people are viz
tually DISTINGUISHED when any man.
however unfit, has it in his power. by
the use of money or low tactics, to
place himself us a candidate for a posi-
ton to which he would meyer have been
chosen 10y the free voice of his cOllsti-
tuents. 10 do this, the services Of one.
two or five men are often quite sutli-
elent, and these henceforth become lee
ches upon him and his office. Is this re-
publicanism? The very name means
public affairs, common interests, DOW.
er given by the whole people to their
representatives. Is it democracy? This
too, is government by the people, pow
or directly exercised by them. It is,
then. neither of these. 1t is despotiSm:
and it is in it's worst form, because it is
not fastened upon us by the will of
monarclls, who are not always despotic
il character, but by the selfish greed
of few, which is always despotic; and
by the sitting Of manly and upright
impulses and moral convictions on the
part OF those who are, or should be-,
sovereisns in themselves. The whole
independence of the people is taken a.
way or held in allegiance until some ca
tistrophe bursts forth which rouses and
braces them to find a ten porary relief
from the effects Of their own moral
Btupor.
The attention of Mr.. Knox is called
t" the fact that in Mobiles county 4
nomination on the winning side was
not equivalent to an election" last fall,
The people did arise from their moral
stnpor" and defeated the Ring nomi.
npes. Put Mobiles county down on the
side of civil service reform.
Did the Chicago Tribune copy from
us or vice versa? We said of the St.
Paul Pioneer-Press: "Judging st. Paul
by the Press, the city must
rank with Chicago and St. Louis as a
commercial centre. X AS an estab-
1is',ment, the Pioneer Press is an hon.
or to the Northwest" Well. 10 Medil]
he gets the ADVANCE and reads that
aud then lie says through the Tribune:
If the growth of newspaper is any
Indication of the prosperity of city.
lit looks rs it St. Paul and MINNEAPOLIS
were in u ilourislling condition. The
Ploneer-Press in it's enlarged form is a
credit to the handsome towns III which
it is published, and an honor to the
newspaper press of the great North.
west.
Gen Sherman's youngest daughter is
s",nt to enter society ut Washington
this Observation-Disclosures