Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-08-16

through which the farmer. had 3 been
mulcted. Holcomb went scot free. :Oh,
no, there has never been ANYTHING
wrong with the Minnesota grain and
elevator system!
The action Of the soldiers home
board, in continuing the policy of leav-
ing the state boards still in Republican
ring control that has scandalized the
Whole state, has caused a perfect storm
OF protest from the people. It is, as it
were, the last straw to break the
camel's back.
1t has been the same from the begin
ming of the Lind administration
prison boards, the grain department.
the reformatory board and all the rest,
always some so-called democratic"
member has been found to act with
the old Republican ring and at the last;
moment thwart the demands Of the
people and the wishes of Governor
Lind. In the soldiers home case the
commandant, McMillen remains, and
Secretary Beebe, both Of whom have
held Office, under various degrees Of
criticism, more or less personal in char
acter, for so many years that both have
grown fossilized. There has been, and
is now, the loudest demand for a
change, but the Republican trustees,l
securing the hold-over democratic"
member, Pearshall, to act with them,
reappoints the fossils. The deal by
which it was accomplished was to give
Pearshall the quartermastership for
personal friend. The adjutant was
changed and the appointment given to
Frank j. Mead, who distinguished
himself in the recent campaign by Or
ganizing the Hennepin county old SOL
diers for Eustis, and in conducting the
Eustis press bureau for the state Re-
publican committee Thus, the soldiers
home management remains Republi-
can, with all the stencil that has fol.
lowed it for years, and yet the Repub-
licans, laughing in their sleeves, prate
of Governor Lind's attempt to introduce
politics. The soldiers home, as man.
aged for years, has been nothing but
Republican machine, and an i'll smell
Ing one at that.
No politics. Indeed. Not only the
rankest of politics has prevailed in each
and every board or department., but
each attempt of Governor Lind to re-
form them, while futile, makes clearer
the deals and schemes by which Repub-
lican ring rule is continued and nepot-
ism is practiced. The business is done
by controlling the so-called Demo.
cratic" members under former Repub-
lican appointment. In the state prison
board this has prevented a successor to
Wolfer, the odium of which has wrong
fully fallen upon Governor Lind's head.
In the reformatory board it retains
Houlton and the rest. Ia the grain de-
partment, General Becker being such
"Delnocratic' member, Judge Mills
and he manage 50 as to retain their
personal relatives, the nepotism in
whose cases exceeds the sum of $40, 900,
that relatives and the two mem bers draw
from the state annually. And 50 on to
the end of the chapter. There is ris-
ing tide of public sentiment which bids
fair not to be satisfied until there is q
complete exposure of the influences pre-.
vailing in the various boards, the re-.
suit Of which would certainly be com.
plete sweep if there is power in the ex.
ecutive to accomplish it. It is safe
statement that there is not board OF
department where Republican politics
does not prevail. in the manner stated
and where nepotism is not practiced tc
a degree amounting to public scandal
The "Beckerian funk" is Editor
Lamphere's terms to designate the ac'
by which supposed Democrats on thu
various boards, act with the Repub
lican members in preventing reforms o.
the boards or departments. The tern
is apt. Up to date the Beckerian funk
ers, aside from General Becker himself
are B. F. Nelson of the prison board
Captain 0. G. Merriam of the reforma
tory board, and Pearshall of the sol
diers' home board. Distinguished ben
edciaries of the said Beckerian funk
besides the $1,000 a year drawn by
General Becker and relatives, are War
den Wolfer, Republican; Tams Bixby'!
brother, Republican,; Superintendent
Houlton and relatives, Republicans.
The Beckerian funk is very popular