Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-01-06
TIL STATE PrBLE MHllS
Are Gradually Dsing Converted
Into fsm1ly snsps-
mew 80 Pssiis rsEsssAss i Heisx ots-
s<ssassst All Aisax ths Lzas-naaxry
ones seekers ExAspsx1ts

tIt4tf ~>@A years t1~ hSfL0<1at<C 4S&A
has been very long, without crook or
turD: year after year the Democracy
has orzsnizsa lts forces. and with great
tsazea OF trompets gone into battle.
each time coming cut utterly routed
and vanqnished. Al last. however, IN
the year Of grace 1850, the unexpected
hxppened, and the Democracy now
finds itself ia itlll control OF the State
Government. and the question which
the level headed Democrats are now
asking themselves. is. "What are we
going 10 do With il, now We have got ltF'
have been quiet observer OF the
situation in Lansing for two days back,
ana have come to the conclusion that
the level headed" men of the party
are in decided minority. The major
ity OF Inc party seem determined TO
make the most out OF the present situa-
ton, without any regard to the future,
while the State officials. one aud all,
are fully impressed with the belief that
"a public office Is u private snap" As
an evidence OF TINS, Governor Wlnaus
appointed his own SON and an adopted
son 10 the positions of private secretary
and executive clerk respectively.
While these young men arc most exenl-
plary, | am told thatneltheroft them have
any especial tsainingor fitness for the re-
sponslble duties which attend these
positions. During sessions of the Legis-
lature the private secretary To the Gov
eInor Is supposed TO carefully examine
every bill presented to that official for
approval. He should be enough of n
lawyer 10 advise the executive AS 10 the
probable constitutionahty OF any
measure, and, IN addition, he should
be SO far master of his mother tongue
as 10 detect any errors IN the construc-
ton or punctuation of bills before they
are finally approved and deposited with
the Secretary of State. There are sew
eral very competent gentlemen within
The Democratic ranks who wanted
these two places, but 1t appears, as one
OF them SAID TO me today, that the
Governor, while IN Congress, had pro-
vlded tor all of his family except these
young men, and now, while he has An
opportunity, he proposes to make the
most OF Il. Ii is needless to say that
THESE young men draw fat salaries.
In the AuditOr-GeneraPs Office, the
same line of policy will be followed by
Mr.. Stone, the Auditor, who proposes,
III addition to drawing his own salary,
TO install his son and wife In good, fat
places. OF course, there are some good
but needy, Democrats who want these
places, and quite likely deserve them,
mt n ia ~ mil
permit it. and they must apply else
where. But elsewhere" does not mean
any other department in the State
Government, for there appears to be
great unanimity among the members
OF the new administration IS to the en-
tire correctnsss of the "private snap
policy, ana every man intends to take
care of his own. This Is strikingly
exempllfied in the State Land Depart
ment, where the most shameless nepo-
tism has been practlced and the new
Commissioner don't care continental
darn who knows it." The $500 mort
gage on the old homestead in Cass
county is going to be paid ''by gosh"
| if the combined salaries of four mem
bers of the Shatfer family will do 1T.
AS before indicated, there are four
Skaters in the Land office, viz: The
Commissioner, a son, William Tecum-
sch, and two daughters. lam told
the latter are assigned to three of the
best places in the department and
began drawing pay January l, but they
are utterly incompetent to perform
their respective duties, SO some of the
old clerks are retained to coach them
| and Judging from appearances the
| clerks who are doing the coaching have
a steady job before them.
In the Secretary of States Office the
"priyate snap policy is accepted in its
entirety, but Mr.. Soper's daughter, who
was to have been appointed Deputy
| Secretary of State. was found to be
under age, consequently the new At
torney-General, who has just made. his
| brother-in-law his assistant, tearf6lly
| told Mr.. Soper that he must try some
other scheme to get that eighteen-hun.
| dred- dollar snap. 1t is stated that Mr..
Soper will give his daughter one of the
best cierkships and probably provide
| for another member OF MS family.
In the office of Superintendent OF
| Public Instruction the "private
snap policy is also accepted as
the proper thing. and the Super.
| intendents sister gets good cIerkship.
This condition of affairs is very
amusing to Republicans, but inside the
| Democratic fold some very severe crlti-
c;sm Is INDUCED in and the situation IS
not lovely in the least. 1t looks to an
outsider rs though the very near future
| would find 1t necessary for Mr.. Dickin-
son and others to read the riot act to
these grasping and frugal gentlemen oil
| they Will be moving into the capitol in
I, order to save house rent. The simple
| fact is, that had the Democrats dreamed
| of such thing as electlng their State
| ticket last fall, not a man of the present
| administration would have been nomI
mated. Not single State official, un
| less it be the superintendent OF Public
| Instruction, would be found on examl
nation, rarely competent to perforL
| the duties or his office. MIR. Shaffer
| the Land Commissioner, showed hi.
| calIbre when he proposed Il
"learu the business" in one day
while the state Treasurer presented a
bond which was so defective that il wa,
| rejected on sight, some of the bonds
men had not even qualified. Tn,
statute and requireraentsre respecting thu
bond are rigid yet this man who is 4
handle the state funds had SO littl.
notion of business methods that he va
| unable TO present \ perfect bond. HI
| finally went to Detroit and with the aiC
| of the bank where he Is TO keep his &C
count a. treasurer managed to procure
new bond.
After thirty-six years the Democrat
party of Michigan Is very hungry auS
| Il Is exasperstlng to the hungry to se
! all the good places absorbed by . few