The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-10-13

own immediate interests, but for a
man whose record has earned for him
the title of Honest John" no other
course was possible or even to be
thought of.
| 1t is nice to be good at figures. A
man who is good at figures can prove
thing and then turn around and
prove the exact opposite with equal
dispatch and felicity. An example to
the point in question is the republican
spellbinder of whom the republican
press exultingly announces that he
fired a deadly volley' into the state
administration. However, the funeral
has not been announced yet, and gifts
of flowers would be decidedly pre-
vious.
After good deal of hard figuring,
the gentleman makes it appear that
the grain inspection under Mr.. Reishus
has cost $4,000 more last year than it
did two years ago under Mr. Clausen.
The only wonder is why he didn't go
back year or two further, or even
five or ten years. If he had, he could
have gotten much better showing for
his side than what he has now. -
Why didn't he tell us that the cost of
the department in 1900 was $4,000
greater than in '97, or $4,000 greater
than in '96 or $4,000 greater than in
'95. If he had only carried the iri-
descent logic of his reasoning out to
the bitter end, he would have told us
that in 1900 the department cost $221,-
600 more than it did the year before it
was started, which in point of fact
would have been indisputable, but as
an argument it would have been an
absurdity.
BY very simple process of subtrac-
tion, we find that the cost of the de-
partment in '96 was $4,000 greater
than in the preceding year; for '97 the
increase is $4,000; for '9S it is SIS, 1000,
and for 80, the last year of Clausen's
regime, the cost Of the department was
$4,000 over the preceding year, so that
the expense of the department in 80
were $G6, 900 more than in '95. Making
an average increase of $4,000 a year.
But our republican spellbintfer will not
let us consider the last year of Clau-
sens regime, because he worked under
a democratic governor that year.
Now just why Il republican grain in
spector should be obliged to spend
more on his department under demo-
cratic governor than under a repub-
llcan governor, surpasses the UNDER
standing of an average citizen. A
good, stunch republican no doubt can
easily see it, but common, average
citizen would be inclined to think that
according to the laws of human ma
ture, the democratic governor would
be inclined to keep republican grain
Inspector under him on as short an
allowance as possible. But even if we
throw out the year 80, we still find
that in '9S the department cost $44,-
600 more than in '95, making an aver
age increase Of nearly $4,000 a year.
And SO if the gentleman tells us that
during the past year the cost of the
department was $4,000 more than it
was two years ago, he merely tells us
that the expenses have increased at
an average of $4,000 year, the same
rate of increase that had prevailed dur
ing the last five years Of the repub-
lican administration, an increase
which is founded ON the natural
growth of the department.
Everybody knows that more eleva-
tors are built and more scales are put
in every year, and state weighers and
inspectors are required in each ele-
Tvator; and consequently the expenses
Of the department have constantly in
creased. Moreover, the expenses do
not depend merely on the size of the
crop. AS Mr.. Clausen, Mr.. Reishus'
republican predecessor himself has
said, it costs more to inspect poor,
unsatisfactory and uneven crop, like
the one we had this year, than big,
fine crop.
But this is not all. The republican
spellbinder insists on adding the cost
of the board Of appeals, amounting to
$4,000, to the expenses of the grain in
spection department of the present
year. But this board Of appeals is a
new institution, established by the law
of 80, and being a new institution, it
naturally requires an extra appropria-
ton to support it.
In comparing the expenses of the de-
partment with former years. it is
therefore no more than fair to leave
the expenses $1,000 less than in 80,
and only $4,000 more than in '9S. In
other words, the increase of the ex-
penses for two years under Governor
Lind was only $4,000, while under the
republican administration the average
increase in the expenses was $4,000
Il year, or $4,000 for two years
Before the joint legislative commit
tee of the last legislature, Mr.. Clausen
and his subordinates themselves adj
mitted that they had made the grading
of wheat more severe early in the sea-
son, and had gradually made it more
liberal as the season advanced; in
other words, in the fall when the
farmer sold, the standard of grading
was high and the farmer received a
low grade on his wheat and a CORE
spondingly lower price; but later in the
season when the wheat was sold out
of the elevators and warehouses, the
standard Of grade was low and the
wheat received n comparatively higher
grade. and brought comparatively
higher price, the profits of which went
into the pockets of the warehouse and
elevator men. The gross injustice Of
such a practice is apparent to every
one, and no farmer can view it with
feelings other than those Of bitterest
resentment.
In no department of the state has
to this fragrant abuse, and determined
that the grades on wheat shall be
maintained with the same integrity
and fidelity Mt all times for the pro-
lection of seller and buyer alike; that
the standard of grading shall not be
high at one time and one place, and
low at another time and another place;
TINT fhapn choll Io M dicou;,,, l,,o ~ -,