Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-03-08
Pressed Into Service

The causes or motives behind indi-
viduals filing for political offices are
varied.s Some wish to gain notOriety
and others hope to make living out
of it even though it may be only a
part time job, and in this they sue
coed for time if they are apt chise-
lerS and take chances on their con-
stituents not knowing what is going
on. However, sooner or later that
game peters out. Other candidates
for office are bent on serving the
public, and that may even be the OBJ
ject of those who wish to gain motor
iety but if service is secondary it
be the full force and effort of the
official.
There is perhaps more desire to
serve the common good on the part
of public officials than they are given
credit for. The lack of confidence on
the part of the layman or the snap
judgment followed with the remark.
''oh, they are all in there to get what
they can for themselves" is likely
due to the fact that crooks get into
politics and often get the front page.
Not only those who go bad, but the
loose takers, the shouters, noise max
ers-thOse who talk to the galleries
and for home consumptiOn-those
with plenty of palaver, break into
print. Their hollering for one thing
today and acting differently tomor-
row leaves an impression with the
voter that reflects on all public Of
ficials.
If a citizen for instance for the
first time visits the Minnesota Legis-
lature while in session, and sees
member who has imbibed too freely
he thinks it is awful and to be sure
it reflects no credit on the lawmak-
ing body. The citizen, if he happens
to strike it right might see one, two
or perhaps even three members who
have over-indulged. If a rather in
nocent fellow, provincial. and has
not seen or heard much outside his
home community, and on top of that
likes to gossip, he might go home
and report that the Legislature is
drunk. Yes, perhaps three House
members did celebrate too much on
a certain day, and we are not apol-
Ogizing for them, it is their own
fOOliShness or weakness in submitting
to the urgings of friends or lobbyists.
but it is only three out of 131 men,
bers. Perhaps that is what might be
called representative government in
a democracy. Anyway, without being
too serious, three happy" ones out of
131 is about the percentage over the
state.
But this is sort of drifting away
from the original, or rambling. IT
is rather amusing when it is known
that person has been aspiring for
years to hold a public office, has
often felt out the sentiment on his
possible candidacy and previously has
not filed for apparent lack of support
or desire on the part of the people
for his candidacy, and then finally
when he files newspaper friends try
| to make out that that was all the
people were waiting Sfor. 1t is on
such occasions that a newspaper be-
comes the laughing stock or ridicu-
lous when it reports that he was
pressed into service by countless
friends and we'll wishers." To say
the least, it is a profuse use of verbs
and adjectives. Countless" where
there are less than $4,000 voters to
cast their choice on candidates and
pressed into service" where the can
didate was raring to go and could
hardly be held back.