Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-05-22

are never idle. They are at the capitol
all day and they spend their evenings
diligently interviewing every member
who is likely to oppose them. They ex-
PLAIN the situation W and over again
to different members, until McManima
says II talk Sioux, think Sioux, argue
Sioux, dream Sioux, eat Sioux, sleep
Sioux, until darned If I don't believe that
1 will some day become q Sioux"
An enthusiastic friend of James A.
Ward, and one who would tike to have
the end accomplished, predicted to me,
last evening, that that gentleman will be
appointed governor of Dakota within
three months. My friend is just as
much off his base as he can be. Mr..
Ward is a good mar and an able man,
but he is also a young man, and he can
a great deal better spendte ten years work
ing for the advancement of his friends
and wait for his turn, than he car afford
to scramble for the biggest place in the
territory, and excite antagonism and
personal anlmosities among those who
have been political workers since long
before Ward quit wearing diapers. His
own judgment teaches him this truth,
but he is being put up for slaughter by
friends who think they would be bene-
fitted by his appointment. He will never
be appointed.
Several editorial friends telegraphed
me last week for special dispatches con-
corning the resignation of Sparks. It
was funny to me. Sparks will never re.
sign. Save your telegraph money, my
friends. That fellow is in for life, or un-
til the Democratic party gets tired ofthe
administration business and turns the
government back to the Republicans.
When a change occurs in the commas
sionership of the general land Office, [
shall lose no time in sending the joyful
tidings to Dakota.
Mr.. Boynton defined himself to me
last evening rs an old-time New Eng
land Democrat and a tariff man. He is
anti Randall and .anti-Morrison on that
subject, but on all others he is n rabid
partisan Democrat. He is opposed to
the division of the territory and his rea-
son is hat the northwest ought to have
an empire state, just as has the south
and the east namely Texas and New
York. That is a good thing to say, but
when you come to think that Rhode Is
land has two votes in the United States
senate while Dakota is forty times as
large, why should Dakota have only two
votes to offset the inimical influence Of
the little baby state? The theory is
wrong on general principles. Regard
less of the local fights and squabbles Of
Dakota, the territory should be divided
and so should all great territories. This
should be done to offset New England
and Pennsylvania in the senate.
I had q conversation with a very old
gentleman the other day, who held q
subordinate position in II of the de-
partments during Gen. Jackson's ad-
ministration. He told me that the com
monty accepted opinion rs to Jackson's
rabid partizanship and his extreme de-
Yotion to the spoils system, regardless of
higher considerations, is in many re-
spects essentially wrong. No president
ever insisted more strenuously upon
character and capacity as the first requi.
sites for official position. Jackson, more
over, made o special study of the inner
workings of the several departments,
about which, ever to the very personnel
Of the employees, he kept himself bet
ter informed than any of his secretaries.
He interested himself in the welfare of
the humblest clerks, knew many of
them intimately, and while always ex.
acting from them q rigid adherence to
rules and the strictest attention to duty,
he always made it q point to see that
they were protected in their rights. lie
sometimes remarked that as a class they
received too little pay for the services
rendered, anu that, while the chief bur-
den of the actual work Of running the
government devolved upon them, the
drones Of the hive were monopolizing an
unfair share of money. On the other
hand. he insisted that 1t was disgraceful
in a government employee to leave an
honest debt unpaid, and that doing so
reflected discredit upon the government
itself. Many of the old residents OF
Washington can yet recall the peculiar.
ity of jackson and how he occasionally
perpetarted a grim sort of a joke at the
expense Of the class of beats who then,
as now, were sometimes found among
the clerks.
i Complaint being made to him of de.
linquency Of this sort, he would some.
: times advise the creditor to secure a
note, which he himself would indorse,
thus not only insuring prompt payment
at maturity, hut warning such as were
disposed to be rascally Of possible con
sequences. There are well-authenticat
ed instances Of his advancing money tc
others of this class when claiming TO bt
in q strait, to enable them to meet theil
t obligations.
There was no attempt in Jackson,
day to deprive the over-worked clerk O
his justly earned leave of absence, b,
surrounding the obtaining Of it with I'm
necessary difficulty. No making hesl
Of one class and fowl of another. N,
e cutting off from the annual leave of at
sence due to sickness, by which the del
icate clerk who needs relief most ha
his vacation abriged nowadays or loose
it altogether. If such things were q,
d tempted then the president put his foe
l. down, and the foot was both big an
It. heavy. On the other hand, the shirk
oil when discovered, were bounced withou