Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-02-09
TUESDAY, February 8, 1897.
A LITTLE POLITICAL PHIL
OSOPHY.


All thinking populists and free
silverites now concede that we
were very fortunate not to elect
either president OF governor last
fall. Last summer we expressed
our opinion about this matter.
and we were misunderstood and
misrepresented by both friend
and foe. We were willing, how
ever, to wait our time for justiti,
cation of our views, and this has
come sooner than we expected.
We can now refer to facts, accru-
ing since election, to illustrate
what danger we meant to warn
the reform forces against.
We do not now refer to this
matter for the sake of telling our
critics that we told you so, nor
for the sake Of appearing wise.
or recriminatiDg in return, but
simply to illustrate some phases
of the political reform philosophy
that popu'ists and free silverites
would do we'll to study more
closely than they have heretofore
done.
A great many Of the admirers
of John Lind felt terribly disap-
pointed because. notwithS1and-
ing his strong run, he was not
elected. But no greater misfor-
tune, politically speaking, could
have befallen John Lind than to
have been elected governor last
fall. Suppose John Lind was
now governor. What could he
do for the reform of abuses in
the various departments of the
state? And he would, of course,
have been held responsible for
every business misfortune for
years to come. The real power
of the governor is. after all, very
limited, and when not backed by
a friendly legislature, and espe-
cially friendly state senate, al
most nothing at all. as the State
senate confirms all the important
appointments to the various state
boards Hence it is positively
certain that John Lind, in case
he had been elected. would not
have been able to appoint even
one person Of his political views
to any place of Importance, and
we knew last summer, as well
as we know now that such would
be the case. +
But that phase Of the question
is only a small part of it, Our
state administration is so consti-.
tuted that a majority of mem.
bers of the various boards would
hold over, even if the new party
should elect both governor and
senate and Legislature. Thus, if
ever a governor of another party
is elected, and the legislature
with him, he. would still have his
political enemies in Office to COL
duct the state admipis tration for
at least one term. During these
two years the old party men in
Office would, Of course, do their
utmost to bring the new admins
tration into trouble. and it is
more than likely that they could
in that time turn the tide Of a
tickle populace against even the
best administration. This is
what has hap opened in Kansas:
and other states.
To illustrate this aspect Of the
diff Guilty that Q reform d move
sments has to cont end with We
need go 40 furthe than this
state During its deVelo pment|
through its past his DRY great
number Of admins ton. boards
have been create to tend oaihe|
various state enter prises "a
course of time. these bodies haVall
'amalgamated to The so-calIe d|
poliiticaI mac ine Of the ruling
party They are d powerful
nov tl1at they openly defy tbel
r1erpatlNe .of their own 1
g0s tls ,e