Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-12-29
THE OLD AND NEW
"A Review of the Public Servants Who
Have and Will Guide the Ship
of State.
Men, From the Governors Down, Who
are the Pick and Choice of the
People.
Local and General News Picked up in
the City and Cleaned From
Exchanges.

have quite transformation taken place
at the state capitol and county court
house; people who have become familiar
to us as identified with n particular pc.
s!tlon will be gone from accustomed
haunts and new people will quietly set
Ito down into the places vacated. 1t is
not the intention TO give any biographi-
cal sketches of either the old or the new;
our only desire is to make such passing
notes as may be pertinent. The retiring
officials have made their records and
must abide by them whether they re
fleet glory or not; the new ones have
their official lives before them, aud each
can have an opportunity to profit by the
researches and possibly by the mistakes
OF their predecessors. There are but
three state officers who have Offices at
the capitol who retire from official life
nov, and it must be remembered at all
times that these came into Office with
statehood and had everything to learn;
they had no predecessors working under
the same constitution To learn from, 40
constitutional questions had been settled;
the laws even had to be made new or
worked over to fit changed conditions:
through that their successors might have
something plore to guide them; expert
ments had to be made and if some of
them did not fulfill expectations it is no
more than happens in all the daily avo-
cations of life OF the officers who were
reelected, the fact of their reelection
was in itself verdict that their services
had been recognized and appreciated by
the people of the state.
w. w. Taylor as state treasurer has
made u record that reflects credit on
one of the best business men of the
state He is "a nan of energy, enter
prise and ability.
State Superintendent Salmon has
served one term in the Office aud has
shown that he appreciates the response
bililies of his position; he has organized
his department thoroughly and proved
an educator of superior ability.
Land Commissioner Ru;h has con
Quoted the aii;lrs of his department, and
KEEP, an alert eye on the vast landed
interests of the state. This office is one
of much more imortanec than is gentr-
ally supposed, and its working will have
:, most important bearing OH the future
interests OF the state
-, nj tod Ill #
be changed rs 10 their heads, and except
the ,rcasurer>, as to the subordinatrs,
at least not at present As TO the Offices
that will change their chiefs. q more eX-
tended notice viii be appropriate,
GOVERNOR.
After one term as territorial governor
and Two as governor of the state, Hon
A. C. Mellette retires into private life
voluntarily, and with the respect and
well wishes of his constituents. He is d
man of much force of character, thor
oughly honest and earnest; 4 man who
is loya to his friends and his state, anc
never loses an opportunity to promote
the interests of either. He has made
enemies, ms every man of force and abil
ity will, but he has also added to his lis
OF steadfast friends.
The new governor, Hon. c. II. Shell
don, is not we'll know" i'll Pierre, bu
those who do know him speak highly
not only of his ability, but of his socia
qualities, and his characteristics as I,
man and citizen. Our own citizens
as well as those throughout the state
have confidence that he will administel
the affairs OF the state in manner tina
will be fair and just.
SECRETARY OF STATE.
Hon. A. o. Ringsrud, the retiring sec
retary, is man who has hosts of ad
mirers and numbers his friends by hi
acauaintances. He is man of sterling
honesty and an officer who holds tn
duties of office high above those of per
Y; sonal considerations. His personalit
impresses all with whom he meets, an
so great is his popularity that it is vel
known that he could have had muc
better official positions had he said tn
word. He is thorough business MA
and always looks upon public transac
tions in the same light rs if his own in
q terests were at stake. In his retiremen
sss the tate loses most efficient aud CON
# petent officer.
The successor in this most importan
office, the Hon. Thomas Thorson, pos
sesses many of the qualities that hav
5s5I made Mr.. Ringsrud SO popular, and W
are willing to predict that few mistake
in policy will be found in his admin:
tratlon. He has been aresident of wha
u is now the state Tor a great many years
and has kept step with the advances tha
haye been made. He will be both poi
sular and efficient.
RI STATE AUDITOR.
ri, ~ .ot ;r;no auditor Hon T. O. Tay