Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1894-05-11
That Third District Appointment.

WIFI tne government.
That Third District Appointment.
When County Supt. Andrus was up
this way, recently. on his biennial cleo.
tioneering tour--and visiting schools
he stated that there was much kicking
against the appointment of Gerret Haak
to the position of Commissioner for
the Third District. The Record is fully
aware that Mr. Haak is not satisfactory
to those who wanted to see Armstrong
continue to control the board; but we be-
lleve that nine. tenths of the people of
the county would rather see Haak on the
board than Hasper. OF course it is not
necessary for the Record to state that it
has never been a supporter of Haak, for
the reason that Van Beck has always
claimed that he could make him do as he
wished in political matters. But should
not the taxpayers generally be better
suited with Haak than with Hasper2
There has been considerable effort made
in this county, at some expense to the
taxpayers, to make the county fit for
honest people to live in. For years one man
had as complete control of the finances
of the county as though the county
was his own private property. He was,
to all intents and purposes, auditor, treas
urer and county board. His political
henchmen, no matter how notoriously
unworthy they. were, were given what
there was to give in the way of county
patronage. He was insolent and curt to
any citizen who might inquire as to the
situation of county affairs, or who might
question his methods in particular in
stances. Well, an eleAt.en came on two
years ago, and desperate fight was
made to keep things as they were. The
financial boss of the county was re-elect.
ed by majority of So, but his combina.
tion was badly shattered. The people of
this county have not forgotten how IN
effort was made to buy voters in blocks
of seventy. five how it came TO naught
how, failing to retain possession Of the
county Offices by bribery, the votes of
precinct were thrown out bodily by the
returning board how two of the men.
elected were compelled to go to consider
able trouble and expense to obtain the
offices to which the people chose them;
how the county board made no effort to
obtain grand jutyto punish the bribers;
how grand jury was obtained by petit
ton; how they met and considered vari-
Gus matters; how they indicted one of the
bribery gang, but failed to reach the chief
rascal; how one of the grand jurors was
in constant communication with lawyer
on the outside and held confabs with
him frequently; how, with only 10 on the
grand jury, there were II WHO, according
to common report, were favorable to pun
ishment of the conspirators against the
ballot; how the commissioners we're criti-
cised in the grand jury report for their
illegal action in rebating taxes. Then
the trial came on before as respectable
and representative jury as could have
been procured in the county. Have our
people forgotten how the man who was
the whole head and front Of the bribery
conspiracy, but who was too cowardly
and too slippery to get within the power
of the law, sat with brazen forehead and
listened to the evidence that was convict
ing his lieutenant, and how but once the
blush of shame came to his cheek, and
that was when Attorney Register said, in
referring to the bribers first Offering a
check, which, if taken, would not
have constituted crime: "Gentlemen,
there was man learned in the law con-
nected with this thing" 1t will be re.
membered, too, that Patterson's paper,
as usual, stood in with the crooks, re.
ferring to the grand jury as 'Streeter's
grand jury and said that Van Beck
was convicted because his enemies had the
machinery of the court" Time rolled on,
and last fall an effort to insert the
entering wedge to break the power of the
Armstrong board was made. 1t resulted
successfully, and VIM. Margach was cho.
sen commissioner by large majority.
Then, al the January meeting, the matter
of choosing successor to Van Beck
came up. and. through the effo rts of Mr..
Armstrong. Mr. Hasper, who, in order to
assist Van Beck had made an affidavit
that two members of the grand jury were
drunk, was chosen to act as commissioner
This result was secured by the usual
methods of the gang The situation was
misrepresented to the county judg", and
he was told that n Job was being put up
to elect some one outside Of the Holland
settlement, when, as matter of fact, no
candidate unsatisfactory to the Arm
strong Cotton-Van Beck combine could
have been chosen without Mr.. Rover.
dlnk's vote, and, with his vote, Wm.
Groen, Gerret Haak or any, other Hol-
lander unfriendly to Van Beek's methods
could have been chosen. The meeting
that chose Hasper was held in the even
ing, after Mr.. Armstrong himself had
announced that nothing would be done
that evening. Mr.. McLain being absent,
the question of the legality of Mr.. Has.
pers election was submitted to the attor-
ney- general by Mr. Armstrong. His let
ter in reply was to the effect that there
should have been full board. and he
recommended that the full board be
called and commissioner chosen. Mr..
Armstrong said that he disagreed with
the attorney general" but the call was
finally made. Judge Rowerdink found
he had been lied to ut the previous meet
ing, and that Mr.. Haak could be elected.
He probably had no desire to strengthen
the hands Of Mr.. Van Beck, who had al
ways called the Bakksrt township caucuses