The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-09
Rotation in the Governorship.

A correspondent Of T h e j o u r n a j
writing from Brooten, Mimi, after ex-
planning that doubtless his peculiar
birth and his observation Of the way
these things are done in the older
countries, wants to know what reason
there is for profting by experience in
retaining men in the offices of conf
gressmen and senator term after term
and refusing to do SO in the case Of
the gOYernOrShip. He seems to think
that an experienced governor is just
as good thing to have as an expert
enced congressman or an experienced
any other kind of public or private
servant. s1;;t
This man is quite old-fashioned
and impractical from a political
standpoint. He ought to know that
there are lots of men who want to be.
governor who think that that is sutfi-
cient reason for becoming candidates
for the office and ample justification
of the practice Of turning out one set
of state officers that another may have
the honors and the perquisites.
For really this matter Of tenure. In
! the governorship affects not the gov
ernor's office alone, but the entire list
of appointive offices. If~the governor
ship alone were concerned the mat
ter Of frequent change would be much
| less important. But the@governor ap-
points the public examiner, the insur-
ance commissioner, the superintendent
of public instruction, the dairy and
food commissioner, the game warden,
the surveyors Of logs and lumber and
long list of others whose, official
life is almost invariably coextensiVe
with that of the governor himself.
When he goes out they go out and new
men come in. For purely poN11sal
reasons a large part of the adininis-
trative business. of the state Is insthe
hands of inexperienced men the great
err part of the time. About the time
they become experienced they are let
out. l-- " II T
r. The head of one, Of these DEPART
ments said yesterday, talking about the
work of his departmental that he had
4 just come to understand thoroly what
| its requirements were and ito he able
to intelligently plan a course Of actor
5 which would be exceedingly profit
, able to the state, and if he Were to re
main in office two orr four&years long
: err and thus have time to work.fit out
he would be glad to put that plan int
!, operation, for he believed it would b,
: d great public benefit. Inasnuch a
his official tenure was uncertain, i
e hardly seemed worth while: to max
i the attempt. we, r. .-<.s
Whether his particular plans ar
: wise or not T h e 10. urn a ! has. n
0 information, but it knows that tn
e principle which is involved is SCUM
: and that the state Of Minnesota S
! sacrificing the interests of the publ
= continually that individuals may prof
: politically and personally
= It may be contended that@the offic
% Of governor is not a difficult one
: fill and that frequent changes can
= made without detriment to the wor
9 of thesoffice. This may be true in
? measure with regard to the governor
ship itself, but we submit that tl
:. point with regard to frequent changt
= in the various bureaus and depar
- 5ments incident to the change in tt
: governorship is we'll taken. ..aI.s,s.'
= These remarks may be regarded
- made for the benefit of Governor We
y SAINT as a candidate for re-electlo
q They doubtless have a bearing on tt
= present situation, but that is only i
. cidental; they are suggested by hr
III belief that the general principle
pc sound, and that there is no esca
ne from the conclusion in favor of long
rs tenure in the governorship except tn
the application of the merit system
all the departments, including the
= pointed heads as well as their su
ordinates.
an Senator Hansbrough makes the ssugg