The Redwood gazette., 1939-08-03
AS AUGUST / ARRIVED PREsUM-

badly their cause had been served by the
sort of civil service bill which they managed
to get through a politically minded leglsla-
ture last spring and the events which pre-
ceded its taking effect.
Certainly for an administration which
pledged itself to civil service and assured
faithful state workers their jobs were
secure, during the campaign, the wholesale
frings of recent weeks require considerable
explaining.
But assuming the dismissed employees
could all be convicted of such serious offens-
es against the state as passing out campaign
cards or tacking up Benson posters, the just
ification for packing the pay rolls with party
stalwarts just in time to avoid civil service
requirements can hardly be correlated with
ayowals that civil service is the only way
Nor can the events of the past few
weeks, disappointing as they have been to
opponents of spoils-politics, be dismissed as
over now with nothing more to worry about
On the contrary unwilingness to wait and
have party men earn their jobs in cOmpeti-
ton with others who admittedly might have
had two strikes on them even under the
civil service selection system, indicates a
lack of sincerity about the whole matter.
Unless a civil service board merits the pub
lie belief that it selects without regard to
political history, the system is doomed to
failure. 1t will take months of faithful ad
ministratiOn to remove the cloud OF recent
events.
Equally serious from civil service ad-
vocate's angle is the excuse prepared, neat
ly wrapped and delivered to the next admin
istration to junk the whole set-up as joke
played on voters with employees as the
butt, which neither took state jobs out OF
politics nor gave the state more efficient,
responsible corps of workers selected on
merit.
Blame for the situation naturally cent
ers around Governor StasSen, although in
fairness it should be wider spread. The same
persons who echoed his campaign promises
let him down when civil service legislation
was pending. Others have closed in with ter
rife pressure to enact payment with jobs,
for campaign support To- say, that he has
been sold short by his friends is putting it
mildly.
And the public is not without fault.
Public sentiment, whipped up by newspaper
comment, forced the passage of some form
of civil service. Had the danger of prosti-
tuition of the plan in the weeks prior to its
becoming of age been fully recognized, those
in the administration who sincerely wished
a state staff chosen solely on merit would
have had much more active support.
MORGAN VILLAGE, IN THE DEDI-
cation today of it's splendid community
building, understands the meaning of good
neighbor" better perhaps than ever before.
A memorial to C. d. Gilfllan, who play
ed prominent role not only in the develop
ment of the county but of the state, the
building is no less testimonial of the well
planned generosity of this pioneers son, c.
0. Gilfillan, who carries on.
Remarking 1T is too bad there are not
more men of C. O. Gilillan's calibre," the
Sleepy Eye Herald-Dispatch uses the occa-
sion for the following bit Of philosophy on
men and money:
1 wonder if C. o. Gilfllan hasn't discov-
cred one of the keys to happiness which most
men of wealth never find?
On every hand sees men scrambling
and sweating and fighting for more of this
worlds goods. Such action is more or less
natural and understandable in those who have
nothing very little, but after one has
cumulated enough to insure himself and family
of plenty to eat and and live comfort
ably, what more can he acquire that is worth
while?
To the man already worth one hundred
thousand dollars quarter or half million, an
additional fifteen twenty thousand means
only more figures on the page of a ledger, and
possibly more worry in looking after the in
vestment it represents The same amount in
vested in library, museum, swimming pool
tennis courts, park hospital means COM
fort and happiness to hundreds. Surely some
of that happiness would be reflected in the
life of donor who makes such things possible.
1t is more than passing strange that SO
many men hunt happiness through the avenue
of wealth and never find anything but the
trouble which goes with handling extensive
holdings, when less effort put forth in acquir-
ing money and more effort put forth in spend
ing it for the good of others would provide the
only known shortcut to true happiness
JOHN l.. LEWIS OBJECTION TO
Vice President Garner on the grounds that
he takes an occasional drink and commands
some respect among his colleagues as a pok-
er player is odd from that source Are these