The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-10-18

'.By their fruits shall We know
Hhem."
Gov kinds administration can best
Tbe judged by the results of the various
departments under executive control.
Their successful management would
necessarily reflect credit upon the adj
ministration, and for any incompe-
tence, scandal, mismanagement or mis-
takes in their conduct, the governor is
equally responsible: he must stand or
fall by the record of these appointees,
for whom he is personally responsible
During his campaign, two years ago,
Mr.. Lind frequently stated that If
elected, ne meant to reform the diff
ferenI departments, that he would in
troduce a sort of civil service, retain
ing an efficient employees irrespective
of their political Affiliations: that his
only aim was the best service.
And he carried out this reform
with a vengeance. Immediately after
taking Office, he and his private secre-
tary, Rosing, commenced to WELD the
official ak, indiscriminately, and in ev-
cry department the former office-hold-
ers were replaced by active Lind par
tisans He has built up gigantic po-
iitica1 machine. such as the state has
never seen before, the with one sole OBJ
.ject in view-to hold their jobs. Every
thing has been sacrificed to this end;
st is the alpha and omega of their pol
ltics. Every officeholder every ap-
ypoinree, even down to the janitors, the
grain inspectors and deputy game
-wardens, including men who are draw
ing only $40 a month wages, have
been called upon to contribute a part
of their monthly salary for the cam
paign purposes and the machine" p.
Is it to be wondered at that in every
department, an increased appropria.
tion of money from the state was
asked for? Is it remarkable that the
cost of maintaining the various depart
ments is greater than it was before?
Is it not to be expected that every de
partment. run as it is by men whose
only qualification is their political
pull" should be poorly managed or
~mismanaged?
In his campaign, two years ago. Mr..
Lind alta cked the character OF the
then public examiner, M. D. Kenyon;
he openly charged that the state pris-
on Irvine pla mt was run in the interests
of the Irvine trust: he insinuated that
the farmers were being robbed by the
existing wheat insrection-and 1t was
necessary to elect him to reform them,
These charges were subsequently prov
en- to be absolutely false, and were
made for the sole purpose Of influence
ing votes. AND THIS Is HOW LIND
REFORMED THE VARIOUS DE-
PARTMENTS.
Couldn't Divide by 60.
The incompetency and inefficiency
of the reform wheat inspection bu-
reau has become a by-word. With
men who don't know wheat from po-
tatoes appointed as inspectors, it is not
to be wondered at that in the open
market in Minneapolis. wheat that has
gra ded as No. or rejected. actually
sold for more by sample. than wheat
that was graded as No. 1. No wonder
that it is necessary to employ a great
er number of men in this depa rtment,
even in a short crop year, to do the
work And besides, it was deemed
necessary to provide fat jobs for po-
1itical friends. Who pays for it? The
farmer and taxpayer.
Under Republican management. poll
tics was absolutely kept out of this
department. In employing an inspect
or, he was never asked what his po-
1iticaI faith was; he was engaged for
1T Of
Immediately Gov. Lind undertook to
reform" the department, there was a
wholesale discharge of competent and
honest men, and their places were
filled-and more places created-by a
lot of ward-heelers and politicians,
whose only qualification consisted in
their ability to carry precinct eau
Gus.
It is an actual fact, and a matter
that can be verified, that two of these
employees were transferred from the
weighing to the inspection department.
of the service simply because they
were unable to figure out the number
Of bushels of wheat in a car, from the
weight of the contents-they were 'un-
able to divide the number of pounds
by 60.
fore sold at premium In the Eastern
markets, and by this premium the
farmers have profited directly. 1t meant
from 1 to cents more per bushel for
their wheat. Under present inspection
the gradings given by the inspectors
have been ignored by the buyers. and
the wheat sold by the sample. What
does this mean? Why, the buyers lost
confidence in the correctness of the
grading, by Lind's political grain in
spectors, and the remarkable discrep-
ancies between their gradings and the
actual selling standards of the wheat
have fully justified this suspicion.
Those grain shippers, whose elevat-
ors are adjacent to railroad lines run.
ming into Chicago, are shipping their
grain there in preference of to Mime
apolis. The reason for this is self-evi-
dent. They are assured uniform
and just inspection with less dock
age" than is being given under our
reform administration.
How Game Is s.Protected.o
During the past few years Minnesota
has spent $4,000 annually for the pro-
lection of her game and game fish.
Under Lind's administration it may
well be said that this $4,000 has been
~ =.