The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-10-20
JOHN on susxz
LE0I6I.ATIVE CLERKS.

JOHN on p skz
LE0I6L.ATIVE CLERKS.
One Of the Forum special corre,pon.
dents, Major Butts, comes to the front
with . terrible howl about tho numher
OF clerks in the Senate and the House.
more than the law required and he says
that Burke signed that bill and thefe.
fore he is responsible for it.
NY friends, I can t appoint any clerks
70 the senate or to the House, and when
the officers Of those two oreanizationa
make out their amounts for clerk hin
ana send them down to me. properlv
sworn to BY the President Of the Senate
and the Speaker Of the House. All I
can do, or all that am supposed to
do is to sign the bills as Governor.
But when they sent the list down TO
me, it looked as though there were too
many employees and so I Thought I
would inquire into the matter a little
and see If there WASH t something wrong
with it. That is habit I have acouir.
ed during my legal practice, Of looking
around to see if everything is all rieht.
And after I had made careful and
complete inquiries into the matter.
found out that they had thirty-six more
employees in the house than the law
permitted and ffty-six more employees
IN the senate than the law allowed. and
SO sat right down and sent them =
red hot message on the question. The
newspapers said the message was 80 hot
that it sizzled on its way up to the
house. I'll just read you that message.
my friends, 80 you can see my attitude
in the matter. Here it is:
Message.
1.-THE legislative has always been ex-
travagant in employing unnecessary
clerks and employees. This was early
recognized by the members, and as .
means Of providing against this extra.
vagance law was passed by which all
enrolling and engrossing was done by
contract. AS the greater part Of tho
work for the clerical force was in the
enrolling and engrossing of the bills.
it was thought that if this was done
under contract it would almost dispense
with the necessity of clerks in the leo.
islature, and while the enrolling and
engrossing has since been let BY con.
tract, the number Of legislative clerks
and employees has seemed to increase.
"In the last legislative assembly
there were thirty-six more employees
in the house than the law permitted and
ffty-six employees in the senate than
the law allowed, making altogether
eighty employees in tho senate and
sixty-fve employees in the house. The
legislature has not only been extrava.
CANT in the employment Of clerks. but
1T has by resolution increased the nav
OF clerks and favored officers, and has
BY resolution given away state prop
erty.
You are here as representatives Of
the people who have reposed sacred
trust in you, and you have no legal OF
moral right to give away the property
or the money of the state as . gift or
in spirit of good fellowship. You are
entitled to have necessary and compe-
tent clerks to facilitate business, and
the clerks are entitled to fair and Just
remuneration for their services. Most
OF this extravaganza comes through q
spirit of good fellowship, without
wrongful intent and from force Of Gus
tom that has prevailed for many years.
I call your attention to it now, at the
threshold Of your duties, SO that you
may be on your guard against this per-
nicious custom throughout the session.
1t is no kindness to young men or wo-
men to put them on the pay roll unless
there is something for them to do. Il
only encourages them to live by their
wits instead Of by honest endeavor. /"
And Ill tell you, my friends, there
was never truer statement made than
the one in which said it was no kind
ness to appoint young men and young
women to good paying positions in Bis
marck and give them nothing to do to
engage their time and attention while
they are in that city. I know Of .
number Of young men and women who
have been ruined for life by being sent
to tho the capital where they were
surrounded by evil influences and had
no employment.
And even then, the influences are
much better now than they were before
my administration, and I am trying 70
improve them every day.
When my message went up to the
legislature and was read by them, there
was CONSERVATION in the House and A.
ter q little while they adjourned. A
great many Of them came hurrying
down to my Office and said the clerks
and employees must be paid and that I
must sign the bills. But said no, il
cannot DO done. There 10 NO law for Il
and it won t be paid.
And when the Legislators found out
that there was no law under which The
clerks could be paid, what do you sup
pose they did, Well, they went risis
back to the legislature and made Law
to pay them. IN tell You, ny frienda.
IL In n MIGHTY hard ioh "a Sc skno3