The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-10-16
THAT ExPERT FEPOPT

Ssristic example OF the THU, tricky
methods usually rssOTted a. by such
y political guack a. Hebron 70 deceive
tie voters. and deIuds them from their
! course. PurpurtiHg 70 be a puu-
political commentary o., tile report, ils
i..ct it ID nothing but eouglumeritiOH
! Of false statements and scurrilOus
abuse.
In Ons part Of the urtIels-, ne says,
1--WE are not trying to extract pUIiti-
cal argument from the report 3" and
yet tile article from beginning to emf
/ IS nothing but special plea IA behalf
OF two Of the republican candidates,
coupled with lying abuse Of certain
( nsmbers Of the peoples party, and
! general tieuunciatiOu of the party as a
whole. as &c gang of calamity howIers
and gOOds-bOx whit.lers- The report
itself and tile comments upon It show
that the report is nothing murs
nor less than Political document
gotten up ia the Interest Of the repub-
lean cuudldutss.
Tie Mercury undertakes to make
point by comparing the expenses of
tile county for 1891 with tile expenses
OF the year 1887, and tries TO have ths
reader infer that this saving is owing
to the economic administration Of tile
county clerk. Il will be news ~ the
voters Of this county that the county
clerk ccRtrols tie administration If
county ufFuirs, or Is responsible ia amy
way for sHtravagant expenditures, or
is entitled to credit for the scUHOmi0a
management of county affairs. The
county commissioners are generally
supposed to be tile officers who ARE
authorized 10 expeIId tie county funds
and 70 aUdit ali bills that are pre-
s,mted, ana if the affairs Of the county
have been economically administered
during the last four years they are the
ler-Ons who should receive the ecun-
iums of the JfeTclVy.
We do not desire to detract one iOta
from the reputation of either Afr. iIau-
SOIL or Mr.. Yeatlnan as competent
officers, nor do we intend to discount
the favorable remarks we mHde about
them last week, although their fOol
friend has seen Ht 20 characterize Our
remarks as innuendOes, as we do not
consider them responsible for his silly
vupOrings. But it does not follow
that because they have faithfully per
formed their duties, they SHOULD, receive
credit for the good work done by other
officers, OF that they are the only men
in the county competent to perform the
duties OF the Offices FOR which they are
candidates. If the fact that they have
made efficient officers is sufficient in
itself to entitle them to reelection
regardless of the principles OF tie
party from whom they received their
nomination, then by continuing to
perform their duties satisfactorily thsE
would have life tenure Of their
Offices. If that argument is cOneiu-
sive now, it would be stronger at the
end of tile next term, as their expert
sncs would render them still more pro
Hcient, ami as each term passed by
tile argument for their re-eloctiOn
would increase in st Exper-
fence, however, has shown that it is
not safe nor prudent to allow state or
county officers to hold their office for "a
long term OF years.
In all, or nearly all, OF the many
defalcations of the last few years the
defaulter had held Office for a long
time and possessed the entire conf
dence Of the public zap to the very
moment when the defalcatiOn WAS dis
covered.
So strong has this conviction become
in the public mind that it is a rare
thing, especially IN Kansas, for 8
county or state officer to allow his name
to go before a convention as a candi-
Gate for u third tenn.
Again, it VIII not be contended by
their friends that MessTs. Hanson and
Yeatman were not fully competent TO
perform the duties of their Offices when
they first entered upon their duties, or
that it requires years Of experience
before "a person can Ike qualified to Ill
the Office. If they were Competent at
that time why are not Mr. BrelsfOrd
and Mr.. Tam equally as competent
now? Did the people of Edwards
county have any fuller knowledge Of
the ability OF NIessrs Yeatman and
ITsnsan to ill the Offices they sought
when they were first elected, than they
have now Of the fitness of Mr.. Brels-
ford and Mr.. Tam for the positions?
Certainly not. Mr. Yeatmsn WIS
comparatively a stranger in the comfy
and almost entirely unknown outside
of his own township. jim BEelsfopd,
on the contrary, has been known all
over the county for many years. ar.
YeaEman, at Size time Of his election,
had shown no special fitness for the
office and WAS not engaged ia any
clerical position, but WAS engaged in
the business OF farming. Mr.. BreIs-
ford is at present, and has been for
years, following the avOcation OF
g g..