Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-09-18
VOL. XIII.
For the Hawk-Eye.
The Recorder and Treasurer.


he selfish, despotic win Of an official aabob. 1t
!, vel known, that at the last election there was
IL vote between Messrs Johnson and MADEIRA
4 this county for the Office of Treasurer and Re-
eorder. For an exigency of this kind, the stat
ote had made two provisions: the first is, that in
r.htion to tie, where all of the votes or ballots
..,s have been counted and tie is the result, the
law provides that it shall be settled by lot, be-
,,-..n the two candidates; the old law made it
n. duty Of the County Commissioners Clerk to
notify the parties, to appear and decide by lot
haf the Code makes it the duty Of the County
Iaase 10 notify, &C. Under this state Of facts,
ahere was much doubt and difficulty as to who
go tie proper person to settle the matter, the
Comfy Jadge or the County Clerk, aud partic-
rl.rlv was this the case, inasmuch as the Hon.
s,Aar3e, Mason, who had betaken himself 10 the
cast on pleasure excursion, immediately upon
Il. nomination 10 the Office Of county judge, had
~ returned at the time of the election, nor was
,A.re ,ny probability Of his return within the
txen,y days in which the law required the allot-
,.ert TO be had. (al;housh no one doubted his
'e.9erness 10 return within thirty days from the
lection. to save his own Office or election and
con, salary.l Under the veSed state of the case
!, il then stood, with no county Judge to qualify,
the County Commissioners Clerk sought the adj
vice Of the Prosecuting Attorney, who upon
due consideration Of The matter, gave it as his
ouinion, that the matter should be settled under
The old law. and that the Clerk was the proper
nne 10 settle il. Whether this opinion was right
AZ wrong, will not pretend at present TO say;
hnt At all events there was so much doubt upon
ne snhiact. that Mr. Madera declined to appear
before the Clerk, and no allotment was had. The
twenty DAYS elapsed-the County Judge not hav-
;ny drank sufficiently deep Of the cup of pleas
IRE At Saratoga and Niagara, had not vet return
j, ,till having ten DAYS Of grace in which TO
make his own calling and election sure. Bat
trne 10 his instinct, as the Ass 10 his masters
crib. this worthy dgnitarv reached home iii time
40 have himself properly harnesseG into the car
of Office. Zone which it is generally supposed, in
hn two years. deliberation as commissioner of
ihe code. he had prepared for hmself,) at which
t;me. am crediblv Informed, he gave it as his
orin;on. that had the Clerk decided the contest
hetween Messrs Johnson and Medara by lot, un-
der the old law. it would have been illegal.
The other provision in relation to the matter,
4 that when there is double ballot cast in auv
Township. having the appearance Of being cast
a one vote, that il shall be rejected. and that
where the rejection thus made would change
the re- alt IN reference to county officer. had
the vote been counted, that there should be new
election ordered: and again. when there IS such
an excess. and tie vote between two candidates
for county Office, that there shall bea new elec
tion ordered. Now the very state OF facts as
nrovided for in the law. arose between Messrs
MADEIRA and johnson: there was tie vote. the
udges in one township certify that therc were
Two brl,cts found so folded together as TO present
the appearance Of having been cast by one and
the same person. and that they were rejected
Now. would one of those ballots. if counted, have
changed the result? 1t certainly wo,ld. Ma
dera or johnson would have been elected. Upon
what principle or law Is il then, that the county
Judge seeks to take the choice ct Ofscers from
the voters Of the county and fill it himself. by
bestowing il uDon his own favoritas2 Does he
doubt the capacity of the people OF the county to
select their own officers? Or does he wish to
usurp to himself the power which the consliin-
ton and laws have wisely vested in the people ?
Or is It because he himself has so long fe,i and
fatted on Office. that he has no feelings or SYM
pathy in common with the people ? A life in
Office since 1887, with its aliaring charms. has
carried him high into an atmosphere Too refined
to he breathed bv the common herd, ami through
which their vision must never penetrate. DC
not wonder. however, at his aversion 10 the dc
cision Of the ballot box as he himself has receiv-
ed some salntary lessons from that quarter, on
vain presumption.
But this latter provision Of the law is disre-
garded by his honor, and he. himself, fills the Of
fee. hy appointing John w. Wehber. Recorder
and Treasurer If he had the power to appoint
what was his duty under the circumstances:
What would prudent. discreet, high-m'niec
man have done? A man who regarded .he wish
es Of the people of the county, and who had an,
feelings in common with them. would he not. a
side from every other consideration, have endeav
ored to select man. whom the people them
selves would have selected. had he given then
the chance? As to the character or capacity o
Nj Webber, have nothing to saw; but as to hi
being very acceptable to the peonle Of this com
", and the party TO which he belongs. 1t is snih
cient to be known that at everv election for tn
past six or eight wears, he has ALWAYS been stana
ing ready to receive anv nomination which Nigh
graciously be conferred upon him bv his party.
tits true. I have heard that the Office was ten
dered to Mr. Johnson. the democratic comset'to
Of Mr. MADEIRA; but Nc Johnson, acthated bv higl
and honorable feelings, splrnei to recaive frou
one man, that which the voters Of the county fail
ed to hesfow. II is a well known fact that ther
are no two men in the county. more esteemed
and IN whom the people have more confidence
than Messrs MADEIRA and Johnson, and no on
in the county who could have been more accept
able, as Recorder and Treasurer. than either 0
these gentlemen. What then. under the circum
stances, would high-minded. honorable mai
have done? one who vas not a tool OF party. on
whose sole power and virtue consists in his hlia
and willing subserviency to party and power2-
Would It not have been m,gaauimo'is. dgn!fie
and morally right. to havs tealere1 the appol mt
ment to Mr. Madera? The matter had been sab
mitted to the people of the csantv, and they wer
equally divided. As to Mr. Madera's qnathca
hons to fill the Office in all its particulars, ther
y none will question them. A man OF unexcep
honable moral worth, and whose situation and cir
cuRstances in life. would have appealed ssrong
TO everv man Of inst conceptions, or high an
honorable feelings if not rendered entirely sense
less, himself, bv being too long pampered in OF
nee. As A democrat, no one would have sal
aught against his appointing Mr. johnson; th'
was right. But as lnst and honorable demo
crat, when Mr. johnson declined, he should has
rendered il 10 Mr. M,dera. That sach a couss
would have given satisfaction to nine-tenths G
his own party, have not doubt. and more pa,
tcularlv should the honorable gentleman have al
ted thus, when he considers that but for the VIII
votes he received, he would not now be revellir
in his $500 per annum, as county Judge. f,
had he have been left alone to the gooa win al
sound Judgment Of his own party, he would no
b chewing the cud Of sweet and bitter fanc
under his own own vine and fig tree. A beau,
sui commentary upon the credulity and good W
Of his whig friends!
TWAS well known that the people in the con,
" had not voted strict party votes at the the la
election; they were actlated by higher sense
drh~, a. ~ hair yt,l