The Nevada journal., 1855-08-03
John Bigler's Popularity.


State Phalanx Convention acted on this
opinion, in putting him in nomination for
the third .imc. But is John Bigler pop
ular with the masses, and if so what has
he done to merit it
1t is well known that previous to the
converting of the last Legislature, the idea
that he would ever again be candidate
for the executive chair would have been
secuted all over the State In counting
the prominent Democrats who were con-
sidcred available for Gubernatoriai honors,
the present Executive was the last man to
be mentioned But no sooner had the
last Legislature adjourned, than the few
friends that John Bigler possessed, know
ing his wishes, began to lay wires for his
nomination. Many of his own party
were violently opposed for a time, and
raked up from the past certain damning
deeds of the aspirant, to throw in his way,
but eventually the promise of share of
the spoils silenced some, and perhaps the
conviction in the minds of the thinking
majority, that Bigler would only be lamb
for the sacrifice, induced them to acqui-
esce in his nomination, saving their favor
ties for a more promising cau.ass. He
was nominated, and en- attempt smade
by his organs to play upon the credulity
of the people, by re counting services to the
State, with which according to their state
ments the exploits Of the heroes Of anti
quity dwindled into insignifcance in COM
parison. An unprincipled and prohig ate
legislature, is represented to have plotted
the financial ruin Of the country, and sue
eeeded SO far that nothing but the power
/ full arm of the Executive was able to avert
the blow. At the imminent moment, Her
culcs with his club-our immaculate Gov
ernor with his veto-slays the monster and
saves the country. Nov what were the
circumstances under which those bills were
passed that came under the ban of royal
condemnation We have had occasion to
speak Of the State Prison bill heretofore.
! We have not q doubt that the veto of that
bill was owing to the enmity existing be.
tween the Lessee Of the Prison and David
G. Broderick When all was harmony in
the Democratic party, the Governor did
not scruple to award a contract for build
ing State Prison, to his friends, among
whom was the Lessee, which contemplated
the payment on the part of the State of
over one million of dollars He did not
withhold his signature from a bill which
gave TO the lessee of the Prison one hun
dred and thirty-fve thousand dollars for
building a Prison, when according to the
arguments the Governor used in his veto
message on the State Prison Bill of last
Session, that expenditure by the State was
| wholly gratuitous, as the Lessee was bound
in the penalty of $1,000 to secure the
State against every expense for the safe
keeping of the convicts for ten years
There was nothing in the contract between
the State and Lessee, which required the
State to make an outlay Of one dollar du-
ring the continuance Of the lease. But
before rupture existed in the party, there
was nothing to- outrage the conscience Of
the Governor in signing bill for the ben
est of his political friends. He accord
ingly favored the giving of a gratuity to
the managers Of the State Prison convicts.
Last session the case was different. Old
friends could not follow all the sinuosities
of Broderick and his puppet, and fer their
!. disobedience the usual pap was denied,
The vetoes on the road and bridge bills,
six in number, are claimed to have added
, considerably to the popularity Of the Gov
ernor Bills Of pre- cisely the same import
were never before refused signature, and
that too at time when there were off,
GERS acknowledged competent in each
county to grant the rights and privileges
asked of the Legislature But when the
Supreme Court had decided that the
Courts OF Sessions could not constitution
ally exercise the powers Of board of SUI
pervisors, and thus there became no au-
thority in the counties TO grant special
privileges for the construction ofroads and
bridges, and for want of local authority
application was made to the Legislature
as the only resource to obtain the privile-
ges, the power to grant which at the time
was vested no where else, the Governor
disregarding the wants of the community
and the precedent established by himself
interposes the Executive veto, and thwarts