Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-10-10
Gentility q Test for Office.

Gentility q Test for Office.
Hitherto the essential adaptions for
Office have been limited to two per.
sonal traits, Honesty and Capability,
and 80 rare is the absence of another
paramount qualification that it has re.
quired local experience in the twen-
tieth century to demonstrate its abeo-
Lutte necessity, and that is, -Gentility.
By gentility we mean that quality
which impels person to act with re.
spect and common decency in dealing
with his fellow man, that refinement
OF nature which results from good
breeding and induces the officer
clothed with little brief authority"
TO respect himself, the Office he holds,
and the people he serves, in the dis
charge Of the limited duties with
which he is vested. Transfer of these
duties to him, by expression of popular
will, should not and does not make
him any better than the masses who
voted for him. but rather imposes an
obligation of respect and supposes AN
inclination on the part OF the recip-
lent Of confidence to act we'll his part
- 4 fair return for the favor which
places the officers nose at the pie
counter.
The marked personality Of one OF
County Commissioners who seeks re.
election-Tom Ismay, from the Third
District-has led to the discovery OF
the perplexites which arise from the
want Of this qualification. Tom has
the reputation Of being bulldozer in
his district, 90 much 20 that people
stand In fear Of his retaliatory acts.
Many Of his official acts give token
that this reputation has not been mis-.
applied. 1t is charged by his own
party that he demanded the dismissal
OF clerks in the Treasurer's Office sim.
ply because he held . grudge against
them; that he insisted that these de-
puties should be replaced BY his own
personal friends; and that upon the
refusal Of the Treasurer to comply
with his demands, he began system
OF persecution OF that officer, and that
one Of these was to expert" his &C.
counts in the hope Of discovery of
some discrepancy, or TO create . sus.
picion that something might b un.
earthed by such IN investigation. AT.
ter year OF search BY clerk, named
by 1smay, At cost Of $3.50 to tho peo-
pie, it was found that everything was
straight in the Treasurer's accounts.
and even Mr.. Ismay thought it best to
excuse his "expert" from making .
report.
His party friends likewise charge
Ismay with having favored his friends
in disposal of county property, belong.
ing to the Poor Farm, by sale with
out giving the notice required by law !;
that cattle were sold for $l1.25 per
head that were we'll worth $50 or SEQ;
. mare for $50 that with due notice
would have bought $3.50; that fine,
new farm wagon was sold for one.
fourth its value! And they do not
stop at that: they intimate that Tom
himself was considerably benefited by
the bargain-counter prices afforded by
want of publicity.
His party friends Likewise claim that
his gallery.play of advance OF the rail.
road assessment was made without
taking the most essential legal precau-
ton TO make it effective: that of serv.
ing notice on the company, to give
them "their day in court" They say
it was simply q" bluff for campaign
use, and that he can have bis /" annual"
renewed for his smartness. They say
that the 81 900 rebate given the rail.
road company in taxes, affords wide
margin for exploiting their interests.
here and elsewhere, if the same policy
prevails with the low salaried but zeal.
Gus bulldozers in Office.
In boiling his party, Mr.. Ismay shows
out his true nature. After many acts
which served to place him outside the
pale OF his party, and it became evident
that he could not secure q renomina.
ton, he formed a combine with sev.
eral aspirants for places on the Demo.
cratic ticket to demand that no nomi-
nation be made for the Commissioner
OF the Third District. Failing in that,