The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-01-20
Restrictions For
County Officers
New Board Of Commissioners Seem
TO Have Definite Ideas About
Handling County Affairs.

which are published in this weeks
issue of the Leader we find that
Commissioner Bergquist has pro.
posed some innovations in the
management and regulation of
county affairs. Commissioners
Bergquist is not a new man at the
business. He served a term as
county commissioner back in the
COS, and we take it from reading
his resolutions that what he
learned then about county affairs
stands him we'll in hand now. Mr..
3ergquist has a reputation of being
shrewd and observing and Of going
about and doing things without
bluster. There is meat to these
resolutions and it is to be pre-
suned that now that the board
have unanimously adopted them
that the sentiments expressed will
become fixed principles with the
present board of county commits
sioners. If the doctrines of these
resolutions are carried into. effect
and the commissioners have
power to enforce them. under the
law if they wish so to dove
believe much good will result, and
the acts performed as outlined by
Commissioner Bergquist will re-
dound to the credit of the entire
board.
A public Office is a public trust
and man elected or appointed to
public Office should accept of the
position in that spirit. A public
official should be kept TO strict
accounting. His time, his energy
and his ambition belongs to the
public and he should give of it
unstintingly to public duties. His
salary should be made sufficient to
afford him reasonable good liveli-
hood and he should receive this
and nothing more for his services
to the public. A public officer
should be above using his office
for private gain. If the people
choose man to Office who does
not possess this virtue, avenues
should be closed to him whereby
he could profit by his position
other than the salary prescribed
by law. We accept the broad
principle that man elected or
appointed to public Office becomes
a public servant-and he should
be subservient to the public and
not the public subservient to
him.
We do not know as to whether
or not conditions exist in Mclean
County ofioialdom which are in
need Of this proposed reform. We
are inclined to think, not, If not,
the various officers and employees
will lend their aid and support to
the movement which the county
commissioners have signified their
intention to inaugurate. 1t is 8
movement in the direction of bet
ter and purer government of county
affairs. That is what every private
citizen and taxpayer is interested
in.
The public is sorely in need Of
system in the transaction Of it's
affairs. There is much waste and
delay in carrying on the business
ola county organization for lack
Of system. Nowadays there is al
together too much talk Of graft in
connection with public Office. In
many cases this talk is entirely
unwarranted and uncalled for. If
the various cfices we're : system.
atized and the duties and rights Of
the officials clearly defped, there.
would be great deal less corrup-
tion sin# Office and II would not as .
( ection 70 the honest Official
- ~ ! safeguard tp the public.
e have fort gl,t counties Is