Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1886-01-27
,DLEsIDE PAPERS.
BY DEACON DooLITTLE.

ain SlaQ 10 nOtc CnaL Inc rank ana nlc
Of Emmons County are interested in the admins
trntion of the county's affairs. Herein lies the
philosophy of a republican government, Herein
il the secret of our greatness state and national
The people rule, and in order to rule must be 81
iicicntly interested in the public scrviceto
come conversant with its very details
The officer is the serrant of tho people he
resents. and as such is under their constant
specton Every true officer desires 1t. Itis
only vindication against enemy, and his only
hope for honorable promotion even to receive
the merit he has earned. A dishonest officer does
not desire any inspection whatever.
There is condition Of affairs that hope will
never curse Emmons County. and that is the idea
that it Is criminal for the taxpayer, the private
citizen, to watch or inspect the common interests
ofnll. Any doctrine that supports the monarch.
ical idea, or any man that teaches it, innoccntly
or maliciously. isl foe to the only safeguard of
both officer and people. How could ali honest,
conscientious officer get his true standing without
the Intelligent approval Of his low-citizens-a
quality that impinges upon inspection, watch
tuiness. BY the same rule We detect rascality
throw 1t away in one case and it Is lost to both
surveillance, however annoying it may be, is as
necessary to establish honor as dishonor eff.
cioncy az rascality.
But the term has rather a wide range of mean
ing. II can be abused There is .vide difference
Oela0een Me man that qcatches inspects etc., for a
Rno"ted0e Of affairs he has q right to claim and
,phal etery acti,e citizen 'ciH claim, and the man
that uatches for purposes base In their character
h"man nature 10 an average the world over
Enilnons County is no exception, and officers
need inspection everywhere They need il; il is
justly their due. can say from experience that
closely Watching certain olIicers-or rather, care.
fully inspecting their work-convinced me tbat
they were needlessly censured. The trouble was
Il rant of inspection. Their work was ablo to
bear inspection. l readily discovered that the.
nua and cry WAS raised by men ignorant of the
crcumstnnces(they had not inspected the work);
but, because some one started the cry, the rest
icll in and squealed also. This was more than n
yolr ago, and time has since done what watch
.l'ncss should have donc-viudicatcd the officers
work.
again, officers are not supposed to possess n
monopoly of brains or righteousness. They arc
still ''lesh and blood, and subject to like pas
SONS with their fellow-nen. They are labie to
make mistakes lnexperience presupposes nwk-
wardness; and awkwardness, without careful
inspection, may be mistaken for rnscaliy. Imay
suy ii has been done. may go further, in rie.n Of
tSo"s"HootO'tc'o
say that more careful and dispassionatc inspection
no the motites, and of the cork ITSELF acould mate
rally metumo'phose the whole mop Vhen jeal-
ousy, tnerperience and ineusiIity each gets credit
for its legitimate share Of the apparent crookedncss
di.hontsty acit haze but title ler
want 1t recorded that dcprecate that condi
ton in which the people, from fear or indiffer-
ence, will not possess u thorough knowledge of
The intricate and complicated affairs OF this
county.
also deprecute that condition in which tho
people shall find fault with, hawk at and tear the
Official characters Of their public servants for ev-
cry lancicd rregularty. Both extremes arc at
variance with prosperity and efficiency.
No man places n higher estimate upon the pub
nc service or the countrys prosperity than Dea.
con Doolittle and none will go to greater lengths
10 secure these blessings; and the Deacon firmly
believes that the more generally the people take
AN Interest in these things the better for all and
for the couniy-the better for the officials. Then,
and onl, then, shall merit receive its intelligent
reward and ability be measured by q Just
standard.
do not believe in a surveillance solely for the
detection OF malfeasance; neither do believe n
proper surveillance is even q faint suspicion of
dishonesty. Its proper function is to become
moro fully acquainted with public affairs-to
learn, and not TO spy. The majority from whom
the officer obtains his tenure exrects the policy
of its servant to be in harmony with itself Only
by surveillance, wachfulness, inspection. can
this condition be ascertained.
know that surveillance as generally uppAed j
will not fully bear me out; but am willing To
submit the following proposition for discussion:
Have the voters of county the right to hold u
surveillance over their officials? am ready to
defend the affirmative: and, when the posi-
ton is fully understood, believe every official in
the county is in accord with IT, 1t is the hone
and safeguard Of all. Suppose a county officer
should, upon accession To office, publish the fol-
lowing statement: 81 want no survellunce-t.e e..
watch, inspection--relutive to my official CON
duct Could greater insult be handed up to
that higher power that created his official func.
tions and made him its servant? If honest, faith.
full, and efficient, could he expect that need he
has earned, under such circumstances? Shall the
servant say with impuni,y to the power that crc-
nted him: You shall not inspect my work ~
If the object the writer has in vew--harmony-~
between all sections. happy relation between
the people and their official representatives, to
the end that prosperity and good name at home
and abroad may prevaii--is not misunderstood
the end will have been attained that is sought by
DEACON DooLITTLE.