Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-07-04
From the Harrisburg Telegraph.
Hints to the People.


No State in the Union has suffered more than
Pennsylvania from the errors, follies and corrup-
tons of politics, and too strict party attachments
Her State debt is overwhelming, and her taxes
oppressive, yet with all this burthen upon the peo
pie, her treasurers are daily sqnandered with an
improvident hand ALI the income, or nearly So,
of her public improvements, is scattered along the
lines to keep them passa6le much less in good re-
pair The system of paying off active partizans
als-for hauling, &C., has swallowed up our tolls
for many years, while our State debt and our tax
es have gradually increased.
.If the people knew why this was so, and how
to apply a remedy, we are confident they would
not fold their hands until the end was accom-
plshed We propose briefly to offer some hints
for their consideration, trusting that they win see
and feel their force.
For many years, all those officers who expend
the public funds, and settle the accounts have
been in the hands OF one party. Our Canal Com
missioners,---our Superintendents and Supervisors
and the Auditor General have been of one family;
and it is not necessary to charge open corruption,
to prove that this fact alone has cost Pennsylva-
MIA many hundreds Of thousands OF dollars. Far
ty prejudice party attachments and party partial
ities too often mislead the judgement. There has
been no check or watch upon their actons,--there
was no one to make them ashamed or afraid, even
though they might have been too honest to steal,
outright, the treasures Of the people, yet when
ones self is in the scale, it is hardly rightly adus
ted.
In every State where party power has changed
hands occasionally, we find the condition of the
treasury always better than in those States where
one party has been permitted to rule supreme, and
have grown nsolent and corrupt, because Of their
strength.
For twelve years, the mysteries behind the cur
tains of the Auditor Generals office, have never
been exposed to the public eye,-(and may that
not be one reason why just at the time when
Whig Governor would expose the secrets of that
prison house," the appointment was taken from
his hands and given to the people, believing that
they were still safe IN their party strength The
people are now called upon TO choose from among
their own number, some person TO fill that office.
Do they desire to know its secret historyl Ifso,
they not select of the old party managers,
whose interest are to keep them still in ignorance.
Again. would it not be more certain to guard the
money of the people, if the auditing of these ac-
counts of political favorites to be done by
whose pride would be to detect and expose any
and all abuses of power! Would not that very
thing make the dsbursing agents more careful
perhaps more honest Nothing can be more GER
tain. 1t would save for the State thousands and
and thousands OF dollars. Freemen and Work.
doers Taxpayers, and State debt payers =
Would it not be well for you to think over this
subject and act at the next election as common
sense shall dictatel
You all remember how the lamented Power,
while Canal Commissioner, scared from the Treas
ury of the State, the vutures of party who sought
to mpoverish it by their lavish and imprudent ap
propfiations Has the lesson been thrown away
will you permit another chance to pass and re-
fuse to set one to watch too While one member
of the Canal Board is directy-politically- Inter
ested in watching the other two-(t matters but
little to the people for what nnotfve) the temptation
and the ability to do wrong is much lessened.-
Fear, if not honesty, would make the majority
more cautions, more prudent and less careless and
extravagant and the result is that the money fthe
taxpayer is more sparingly, and more properly
applied. The opportunity is again offered to di-
vide the political character of the Canal Board
and as it may be that both parties need watching
each will be as watch set over the other and
the people will reap the harvest in the repenished
Treasury. This is worthy Of every mans con-
scientious consideration and then it demands
that action at the election which republican integ-
rity will endorse as well done.
Let every Farmer; Mechanic, Laborer, and
those who ''sit at home at ease," examine these
hints, and see if they cannot profit thereby.