St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-18
A DIG AT PATRIOTS
Who Make Themselves Numerous
on the State Boards.

on the State Boards.
To the Editor of the Globe.
In Wednesdays GLOBE you have an
editorial designated "The Lobby" In it
you say that every citizen has ARG lit to
make suggestions to our senators and
representatives, in fact we ought to do
so. You say further that the citizens idea
can be made directly to them or
to you. and you Will see
that they are fairly considered
and acted on. As prelude to what l
have to say, | will mention the fact that
this legislature is on trial. The Repub-
lican party has been weighed iii the
balances and found wanting. Both
houses of the legislature are in the
hands of the opposition and the gov
ernor hanging OH by the eyebrows only.
1t is not Republican rule, but misrule,
that has brought this about. Now it
behooves the opposition to show to the
people that they are looking after the
PEOPLES rights, and not the ever hum
CRY politicians and corporations. The
politicians in all parties are alike, self
first and the people last. Corporations
are looking after themselves always.
That is their business, and do not
blame them 1t should be the lawmak-
ers' duty to see that they only get their
share of the pie.
But to get at something new and
tangible the legislature might make a
thorough examination of the public in
situations. | dare say that an enormous
amount of money has been squandered
without doing the state or inmates of
such institutions any good. The system
of boards is for two purpoSes-firSt. a
cheap machine for the party in
power, and second, lot of con-
venient holes to put old back number
politicians into. They are of no earthly
benefit, except to act as a whitewash
brush when some favorite official has
offended. There have been.and may be
now, some very good men on some eX-
isting board, but. as rule, good men
are scarce OH, these boards. 1t costs the
state large sum of money each year
for these boards. If you doubt this state
ment, just step into the auditors
Office and get MIR. Biermann to figure
out what it has cost for the last ten
years, and it will surprise some of you.
Still these fellows will say that they
don't want it. They are simply doing
it from pure patriotism. Patriotism is
known to draw pay from three different
AS remedy for this board nuisance,
| would suggest:
First-Ab0lish all boards. including
the board of charities ami correction.
SecOnd-Provide for the election by the
people of superintendent of all state
institutions, each term to be four years.
Third-Proyide clerk for said superin-
tendent whose duty should be to gather
the necessary statistics, something like
the secretary of the present board Of
CHI arities and correction.
Fourth-The governor to appoint a
resident superintendent or warden, but
the the governor not to have authority
to discharge the same, that power to be
vested in the superintendent alone.
You will observe that this would keep
all appointments out Of politics. The
governor can appoint, but not discharge.
The superintendent. who is responsible
to the people alone. can discharge for
cause at any time, but he has nothing
to say about who shall be appointed as
the successor. One will be a check OH
the other.
Provide a good salary for this SUPER
intendent, and provide that he shall
spend his entire time at the different in
situations. He will then be able to
compare cost at one with the other and
make matters run uniform. Some smart
Aleck will say why there is great dit
ference between caring for convicts and
insane. My answer is. not any great
difference.
| believe change as here suggested
would save at least 100000 year, and
give much better service to the inmates
of such institutions. One great source
of waste in the past has been that each
board has, with the aid of the SUI
perintendent or warden interested, fig
ured up what appropriations were re-
CURED for two years, to present to the
legislature. Each institution is afraid
that some other wilt get more, so they
all put it on thick. The senators and
representatives then generally form
pool that is from the localities of such
institutions and get what they want.
Quite per cent of this money is sQuan-
dered by the officers and boards. Where
one man has the entire supervision of
all the institutions he would lOp off all
unnecessary expenses. 1t is needless
to say that where he is accountable to
the people he would practice both econ
omy and prudence.
A board doesn't care. Take, for in
stance. the so-called board of managers
at Saltwater. They ought to know that
the people at large have no faith in
them; in fact, since R. j. Halls report
OF their trip East with that race horse
to buy Irvine machinery, they are looked
upon with suspicion, but they can snap
their fingers at the people, for they owe
allegiance to William the First only.
Now, dear good-natured GLOBE. this
is enough for once. Print it if you find
any good in it, and no one will be more
interested in your criticism of it than
H-A-Y-S-E-E-D.