New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-12-25
Political Reform.

The gates OF He'll may not prevail
Against sou 30 armed.
Political Reform.
7sns Editor Of Tas Ttaspas:
7.re,. No. 9.
In nv first number adrsrted 10 the enormous
increase of taxes in ten years, and suggested that
the system that has permitted such increase is bad
and must be reformed before relief can be ex
pected.
Our suall towns elect from 26 to 30 town off.
GERS whether the town has large or smsilnum.
Der OF inhabitants the number of officers 10 keep
them in order and transact the public business,
il about the same. A proportion Of these town
elected officers draw their pay, or portion OF 1t
from tho County Treasury. while the bills OF
nearly ell are audited by the Board OF Suoervlsors,
who must necessarily be unable to afford thai
scrutiny necessary to detect false or extravagant
claims. From this has grown up system among
petty town officers by which the Supervisors are
constantly cheated into the allowance OF large
amounts for services never performed or no,
properly chergeable to the public
In the Board of Supervisors each man u me
representative of some twenty or thirty OF Tie
most Influential men Of his ,cwn, who are appi
he Will be found the most popular Supervisor
who procures the allowance oil the most liberal
bills. The town employs or appoints the pubic
servant the county pave, aad when the crumbs
are to DO divided there is natural an una
voidable strife on the part of each town to gel
its full share weak devices are successful In en-.
purine the passage OF almost any hind OF clam;
The claimants aud the distributors OF the county
funds, the tax payers suffer.
I have known several men present bills for
precisely the same service: one was % per cent
lower than the others /: the Supervisors had dis
cretion to pay what they pleased, and they
raised the low bill up TO the high ones rather than
reduce the high ones to the low, or have 1t ap-
pear that they allowed different amounts ior the
same service. Each Supervisor advocates the in.
,eres,s OF his influential constituents who have
claims this is the tendency of the present sys
tenn. Taxes for county and town expenses twice
or thrice as high as they ought to be are the
result.
would have the number Of town officers re
dueed by law, and further / would have any
tewn author zed to reduce tho number as low os
il pleases, so that towns having small popua.
ton may not be required TO sustain SO large an
officisl lis. us towns oil large population. would
then have q general provision that each t9con
should audit and pay epery officer it elects.
There are many reasons that might be given
for the change proposed, one is that it would re
duce the burdens Of the tax payer, now onerous
and growing more SO every year,
A second is that 1t would distribute public
burdens more justly thaa the present system
Our annual taxes for county expenses are chiefly
but penalties upon the community for its mat
tention to the educational end moral influences
that might be exerted TO their almost entire ex-
tincton.
Throw upon each town The burden Of paying
all the expenses It creates, give each town The
whole benefit of the economy il shall practice
and what an inducemcnt is offered for the eradi.
cation of all immoral and peace-dsturbing ihfiu
ences that too generally ln'estsociety. We should
soon have towns whose taxes would be merely
nominal the iountai0s of broils would be closed
up; educational, moral and charitable Influences
would be employed TO preserve order that Is now
20 Intellectually preserved by scores If Officers
and legally imposed burdens; and 50 soon as one
town I'd set the example of adopting such sys-
tenn as should preserve its peace and ensure The
protection of is inhabitants in the enjoyment Of
their nghis, free ftom the expenses now SO bur
densoms, other towns would follow it.
1t has been well said that to reform political
society, we want pattern towns" Afford the
inducements that have suggested, and we soon
should have them, know several towns anxious
to commence the ttial of the plan propose and
exhibit the safety aud economy of eacn towns
bearing the public burden II creates. Some other
considerations may Do presented upon this I'M
portant subject beloseI speak of county officers
The amount of their compensation and the way
they get it.
If attention can be gained will make some
DEVELOPMENTS that will arouse OF least he payers
of the high taxes that are exacted under this so
called cheap government. b.
SHINING AND FoRoWNG Rich, OF
Lyna, Mass long addicted to intemperance and
other vices, was induced GONE years ago, if we
remember righty,) by the Washingionians, to
sign the Temperance Pledge. He subsequently
bee anne Washing lecturer at least was
In the frequent habit OF addressing temperance
paselings. at length, however, he unfortunately
reapsed into his old habits, and while uncer the
influence of liquor broke open and robbed the
store of Christopher Robinson, his best friend,
who had done more than any other to promote
his welfare This was decreasing case. MIR.
Robinson had previously been blamed for trust
ing him, and repeatedly told that there was no
use in irving to reform him. This offence was
regarded by many as the fulfilment Of their pre-
5ictions, and en- evidence Of Mr.. Robinson's
follv in placing confidence in criminal. But
MIR. R. was unmoyed by the reprcaches that were
heapsd upon him, and determined still 10 perse-
ys,e In "ovo,coming evil with good" He
refused to prosecute Rich, and persisted IN
treating him il possible more kindly than before,
-, a. h,on;po Goals of fire upon his head