Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-03-28
The Political Spells
system is Wrecking
Good Government
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adjust itself to the social and eco
nomic changes of the past seventy
wears. 1t is not necessary for me.
upon this occasion, to describe the
social and economic changes that
have been occurring in our country
and throughout the world. They have
engulfed us all in the swift current
of their progress. No institution. not
even government, has escaped their
held more tenaciously to the forms
and conditions of the past than other
institutions have. 1t lumbers along,
holding steadfastly to many OF the
units and forms of administration
that it adopted years ago. There are
still in existence in this country one
hundred and seventy-five thousand in
dependent units Of government, each
with the power to raise and spend
money. Although we know that many
of them are out-of-date, archaic, OBJ
solete, and useless, We cling to them
as if their perpetuation were matter
of life and death. We delude our
selves into believing that they repre-
sent precious heritage that should
not be given up.
Theoretically, government Is so
cial device created by men to promote
and to insure the common welfare.
Originally, it was concerned with
simple things, such as, for example,
the exercising of police functions,
supporting the schools, building dirt
roads, and promoting and protecting
the interests of the people in many
minor ways. More recently it has be-
come the chief agency for realizing
the economic aims of individuals. Its
influence has extended into every
phase of business; it controls banks,
insurance companies, railroads; it
regulates industry, commerce and ag-
riculture; it UNDERWRITERS gigantic pub
lie works and relief programs; it edu-
Gates the youth: it ministers to the
health of the citizens; it establishes
new enterprises, such. for example, as
the Tennessee Valley Project. Its
budget is counted in billions. All
these activities of government must
be administered. More than three
and a quarter million persons are
employed as public servants, not
counting those at work on emergency
projects.
More Care in Private Selections.
In nearly every field of human
service except government. we rely
upon persons of competence and train
ing. When men are ill, they summon
to their aid a trained diagnostician;
when a bridge is to be built, they
employ a competent engineer; when
a pulpit is unoccupied, they call a
graduate of a theological school to
fill the post; when children are to be
taught, they insist upon specifying
the qualifications of the teacher; but
when a government office becomes
vacant, they maintain that almost
any one is competent to fill it. The
! United States maintains the most eX
tensive school system in the world
| and yet makes less use of it in the
selection of public officials than do
any of the other important self-gov
erning nations of the world.
There are several reasons why
Americans disregard competence in
public office. One is that we still
insist that to the victor belong the
spoils. During campaigns the air is
! filled with the shouts of candidates
! declaring that the court house and
| the capitol must be cleaned from at
/ tic to cellar. They assure the listen
| ing voter that if a housekeeping can
be effected, innocence and purity and
! Justice and economy will prevail in
public administration. Every candi-
date, and especially those not in Of
| flee, is the advocate of some kind of
deal-a new deal. a square deal. a
fair deal, no deal. or double deal.
As | pause / can hear even now the
torrents of words and slogans of the
last campaign hurtling back against
the tympanum. l listen almost in
vain for one calm. deliberate. dispas-
sionate discussion of problems funda-
mental to the welfare of the state.
Public administration will not be i'm
proved by resorting to appeals Of an
emotional nature. Public administra-
ton will not be improved by calling
people names. by indulging in invec-
tives. or parading meaningless slogans
before the electorate.
Somehow or other we must free our
selves of the spoils system and bring
intelligence to bear upon political. so
cial and economic problems. Every
one knows that the spoils system is
merely device used by clever poll
ticians- or by pressure groups. to pro-
stitute public welfare for private gain.
The ill-gotten gains the spoilsmen de-
rive might better be used TO provide
for the education of youth. the leg
itimate employment of millions out of
work the intelligent study Of prob
lens basic to public welfare, and
higher salaries for underpaid public
servants. Not only is the spoils sys-
tenn expensive in money. it drives
ambitious and capable young men
away from public office. and olsen
franchises and endangers democracy
itself.
Not so Simple.
Andrew Jackson was responsible for