The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-23
WHAT SHE THINKS
THE GIRL an THE CAR WHO
TALKED POLITICS
She Regards the Board of County
Commissioners as More Important
Than Anything EIse-What They
Discuss and Decide

sat behind two girls in a car the
other day who were talking about local
politics. l learned a great deal; among
other things that county commission
er is only ranked by the president of the
United States-and he has to be pref
ty good kind of a president, too. 1 had
intended TO read the paper in the ear,
but discussion became so animated in
front of me and so much more inter-
esting than anything one can find in
an evening paper that 1 put it down
and listened.
L think Mr.. Hearst is lovely" said
the blonde girl, and if was man I
would vote for him for president-sinee
I saw his picture in a magazine; he's
just too lovely for anything
The dark girl shifted Il wouldn't
she declared: that's all you know
about il, Polly; that Hearst is a very
bad man and he fools the masses-un-
Gle said that
Well, suppose he did. why should
your uncle know more than anybody
else2" asked the blonde, with a look
which would have annihilated uncle if
he had sat where did.
Why, uncle" said the dark girl,
"uncle is a county commissioner and
he's right in politics and knows all
about il. It's such an advantage to
have public man in the family. You
don't know what help it's been to me
since Uncle's been a county commits
SiOner.
The other girl was somewhat i'm
pressed and hesitated a moment.
made up my mind she was gathering
strength 10 say something very awful
about county commissioners and held
my breath.
What is a county commissioner 90
she said rather weakly. What do they
do"
The establishment and pain of the
other girl even oozed out of the back
of her head. Her face was full of hor-
ror-
Why. Polly Smith she said in awe
struck tones, do you mean to tell me
that you live right here and have been
TO school and don't know what a coun-
ty commissioner isl Why-a county
commissioner iS-er,' her voice traileG
off a little and 1 sat up; wanted to
know myself what county commits
siOner was. The dark girl had regained
her voice.
~.Why a county commissioner is-a-
er-Why, it's the county commissioners
that decide everything in the county.
Didn't you know that? They meet once
a week and talk and falkland discuss
and discuSs-and decide The
blonde girl found her courage.
Well she said triumphantly, what
Go they talk about, and discuss and de-
eide I'd like to know. Your uncle Is
oue-yOu ought to know" discovered
l was past my street by two squares,
but the pursuit of knowledge is more
important than a mere dinner.
why they talk about their business,
OF cOurse-about-the county-and the
roads-and the wells"
are wells -
The niece of the county commission
er breathed scorn.
Don't you know what wells are?
Why, if l didn't know what a we'll was
"a well is a place that holds water
and it's one of the things the county
commissioners have to see about-and
Grand lots of other things. The
board of county commissioners is the
most important thing in the city
why, it has-just lots of things to de-
eide
Il don't believe" said the other girl
more firmly, that it is as important as
the mayor and the aldermen. Every
body knows the mayor and the alder
men-er-just do everything-and run
the city-aHd never even heard of the
county commissioners" this in a burst
or courage
That" said the dark girl with su-
perb sarcasm, "is nothing against
them, nor does it take from the impor-
lance of a body of which my uncle is
a member. Perhaps you have never
heard of the president: perhaps you
don't know we have a governor. But
then, of course, none of the men Of
your family being in public life, 1T IS
natural you should know nothing about
politics. Uncle says" but decided
/ was too hungry to hear anything
more about uncle, even if he is a coun-
ty commissioner know now, though,
who il is that decides everything.