The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-15
Communication.

DEAR slR:-A little incident happened
at one of our polling places here in Cava-
.icr County, at the last election which is
a little too good to let pass without men,
lion. y certain commissioner WAS
present and with him our county sur
veyor One of Our worthy citizens, who
holds an office of trust among his country
men and who has an eye toward the
expenditure allowed 10y the board was
curious enough to inquire as to why the
Hon. Patrick MclIugh was allowed such
muniiicent pay for copying the records
pertaining to the three ranges which
| were detached from Pembina County.
We do not remembered the exact amount
but it WIS thousand plus several hun
dreds. Instead ofanswering the question
the aforesaid commissioner thought fit to
preserve 81 discreet silence. But instead
our respected surveyor took it upon him
to come to the rescue and this he did
nobly. Indeed his maiden speech on
this occasion showed such rare traits of
character on his part and possessed such
vivid and pointed style that We would
bcspeak for the gentleman an early
debut MS III orator. With candor which
is as refreshing as it is rare he went OH to
say that the members then on the board
were perfectly green when they assumed
inc duties and responsibility of their
Office, THAT they knew nothing about law.
and that Nh. IlcIIugh had come in
among them and argued the case, whose
eminent legal abilities" they were TN.
able TO sainsay, but that they had been
at school since then and would never he
caught i'll tina. way again. We do not
PRESENT this as Il stenographic report of
tie sneech but as far as was told us, this
IS about what WAS said. Our informant
thought that it was hardly fair for the
county to be required to pay for the
schooling, especially as people out here
find it difficult enough to support schools
for their children and in this we fully
agree with him. Still, as Mr.. Null would
doubtless say, it seems foolish for the
people after footing the bills to let such
an amount of developed talent 20 to
waste and especially foolish to substitute
for it another lot of unsophisticatcd
ignorance, yet, strange to say, this is just
what the people have done and what i'm
their perversity they are still inclined to
do. The only hope is that the incoming
men Will be humble enough to seek the
advice of the outgoing ones and endeavor
TO catch up in their learning rs fast as
possible, SO that they will be fully COM
potent to understand. i'll all their in
tricacy, the deep mysteries connected
with the art of county government We
would at the same time, very respectfully
suggest to MIR. McIIugli, the propriety of
letting them alone until they become
fully Pledged and able to think for them
selves. No doubt he means we'll (as far
as his own pocket is conccrncd) but he
must remember that in forcing babies TO
| walk too soon there is danger of making
them bow-legged, SO let nature have her
own way, please, just once, so that we
may see the grist!e change to bone and
be gratilied with an upright walk Oh the
part of those who are to become our
parties conscripfi.
But TO become serious again, | would
say, that there is significance about
this Change Of commissioners which
s'.o'll,! moi be overlooked The former
incunhents wou!d.in all likelihood have
been reelected if it had not been for one
thin:. and that was the leaning, or at
gas. the suspected lea ming, which they
had TO LaMourc. The Neche statesman
had better make note of this inasmuch
as straws show which way the wind
blows.
I lave to-day written articles to both
the Grand Forks Herald and the Grafton
News and Times in regard to the lessons
taught by the Hawk-Stephcn affair and