Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1892-08-19

machine zeal Win the: an DleStS?
z. "Mr. Armstrong can no more indu.
ence the county board than Mr.. Streeter,
although he is q gentleman and one Of |
the best officers Emmons county has ever
had, and must further say to his credit |
that he has never tried to influence that |
body.
The assertion that Mr.. Armstrong has |
not Influenced the county board brings a !
smile to the faces of those who are aware
OF the facts. Figuratively speaking, he
has held the present county board in the
hollow of his hand, and when he has
taken snuh they have sneezed. With the
single exception of the appointment of |
states attorney, not thing has been
done that he did wish, and the opinions
of other citizens concerning public meth.
DDS have been as naught where the de.
sires or interest of the auditor have been
in conflict. Particularly is this true Of
this district, where in many cases worthy
and competent men--but men unfriendly
to Armstrong--have been appointed road
supervisors and fire wardens in order that
they might be won to his support-but
without avail The commissioners have
sung his praises early and late--even to
the claim that his retention in Office was
an absolute necessity. The people chose
him states attorney; evidently they
wanted him for that Office or they would
not have elected him. The auditors of.
fee became vacant, and man Just as
competent as Mr.A.was willing to take the
place. But he did not get 1t. The states
attorney deserted the post where the peo-
pie had placed him. The commissioners
wanted him, and the following fol.de-rol
appeared in the minutes:
1.-THE Office of county auditor having
Herrlck, the board UNANIMOUSLY agreed
to REQUEST H. A. Armstrong to flll said
vacancy. CONSENT being secured, there's
fore, we, the board of county commis-
sioners OF Emmons county, N. D., IN or~
der to fill the vacancy caused by the death
of Ezra T. Herrick, hereby appoint, with.
out dissent, H. A. Armstrong county au.
dltor for said county"
1t will be seen that the consent" was
quickly obtained, and that the board was
not compelled to WOO the states attorney
at any considerable length.
Then came the appointment of dep"
uty treasurer. Mr.. Merrill wrote to Mr..
H. W. Allen-a man perfectly competent
regarding the matter--and asked the
latter to meet him ct Wllliamsport. He
did so, and had a preliminary talk with
the treasurer. Then Mr.. Merrill saw Mr..
Armstrong. Mr.. Allen was not appointed.
As to Vans assertion that the auditor
| is gentleman" the REeoHD has nothing
to say. Only his public acts concern the
county press. Webster's definitions of
gentleman" and ''genteep' are as fol-
lows: "a man who is we'll born one
who is of good family; one above the
condition of q yeoman possessing or ex-
hibiting the qualities popularity regarded
as belonging to high birth and breeding {;
free from lowness Of taste or behavior !;
| adapted to refined or cultivated taste !;
polite well-bred; easy in manners |;
graceful in mien or form elegant in ap~
pearance, dress or manner"
~
At this point the writer will say that
this fight has not been of his seeking. 1t
was begun at the Winchester convention
this year. Auditor Armstrong was hand
in.glove with the combination to ''do up
Streeter," until there were evidences of
failure. Then he denied 1t. The fight
for school treasurer was at his lnstiga-
ton, and it was his nearest friend who
wrote to one whom they wished to have
the aid of in the downing process: ''Mr.
Armstrong will help you to get bonds
and assist YOU in the duties of the Office"
The efforts Of the Van Beek-Armstreng
Campbell combine we're not alone directed
to defeating the writer as delegate to
the state convention they include ats
tempts to defeat his nomination as clerk
of court and If possible to destroy the
business he has labored nearly nine years
to build up. But the writer will keep
the flies off, of the combine while all this
is taking place.
And what is the cause of the fight
within the republican party in Emmons
county, Simply this I: The publisher of
a county newspaper-especlally IN new
county--receives large part Of his in"
come from county pripting==some of it
for advertising and small part for job
work. And we will BAY right here that
too often this official patronage is a
factor in coloring the opinions of the
country press. The county board did GER
tain things that the editor Believed were
| not right, and he talked. He said little
IN his paper--as he knew his business in.
terests would get the worst of it in a
fight with the county board-but he could
not Regulate his mouth entirely. He
| knew
That. with much more prompt pays
ment Of taxes than ever before, the IN.
debtedness of the county was steadily
mounting up.
That taxes were much higher than they
| should be under competent and eeonom-
ical administration of affairs and that ex.
ecutive ability was lacking in the board.
That 1t was not right to allow one man
to desert an Office to which the people had
elected him and take another with a beta
ter salaty, when competent man could
at once be obtained to fill the latter.
# certain man IN Office was necessary
to the Transaction of official business in
Emmons county, how strange it was that
t,n S~I,A ~sn