The Placer herald., 1856-02-09
From the Placerville Democrat.
Retrenchment and Reform.

Treasury. Democrats and Know Nothings
coincide heartily on this one point. The
sense Of seIfpreservaton has forced men Of
all political parties to cooperate in repulsing
the bold bands Of merciless marauders, who
have hitherto committed assaults with I'M
punity upon the pecuniary welfare Of the
people, Never, perhaps, in the history Of
any State, counting California double in years
have so many men fattened upon the pro-
ducts of corrupt legislation. Scarcely a ses-
sion Of the Legislature has transpired, since
the organization Of the State Government,
without the consummation of some mon
strous scheme Of fraud by the representatives
Of the people, enuring to the benefit Of bad
men. Nor have such measures been the
effect of partisan partiolity. Democrats and
Wings have participated indscriminatey y in
their support, 50 that although the first
named have, until last winter and now, had
a working majority in the lawmaking coun-
ellis, they are not equitably chargeabe with
the corruptions now referred to. But be this
as it may, public necessities demand imme-
/ diate reformation in the expenditure Of pub
lie moneys. Private bills, granting relief for
individual misiortunes, Gn many cases manu-
tactured expressly for the occason) or invest
inc lazy 'ntrgants" with exclusive rights,
which compel the payment Of eXhorbitant
prices by the people for specific services,
instead of leaving such indirect taxation to
the sautary control OF fair competition, or
worse still bills creating official sinecures,
should all be laid on the table or thrown out
Of the windows Of our Legislative halls. Tax
payers have long enough groaned under the
burden of such mfctions, and are ready to
yield substantial thanks to any body of men
who will deliver them from "the body of this
DEATH"
From indications which have reached us
from Sacramento up to this time, we encour-
age the pleasing hope that the days of whole
sale thieying among office holders and lobby
prowers, are numbered. Already has a quie-
tus been given to one or two tishy projects,
which have been presented for consideration.
Steps have also been taken to crcumvent the
designs of certain miscreants who have at
tempted to WELD the power of past posi-
ton for swindling purposes. 1t is true that
these eleventh hour precautions may act
hardly upon some few who have innoceutly
become entangled, but the greater number
Of those who will be affected by it, deserve
such retrbution. The pieces Of scrip issued
on the contract for the erection OF the State
Prison Wall, are so many iIimsy drafts upon
inluoent bankers. The people have been so
long accustomed to settle without question
ing tie account, that they have been imme
MORALLY the victims Of mpostions and un-
scrupulous demands. In this case forbear-
ance is no virtue; for we venture the assertion
=
who can suffer from the stringent enactment
proposed by Senator Norman. If there be so
many, it has been the consequence the world
over for decent men to suffer from bad asso-
ciations,-it is a safer rule of justice for them
to do SO; and those who have been duped or
scduccd into an investment Of money in these
fraudulent evidences Of State Indebtedness,
must endure the penalty to avoid or prevent
great general injury. Rogues have too long
avaled themselves Of the means Of govern
ment Of the so called science Of politics, to
fleece the honest portion Of the community.
Those principles whose Importance should
command an exercise OF the soundest ]udg-
ment, the most enlightened conscience, have
been degenerated into secret signals, or loud
watchworls to accomplish the triumphs of
sordid scoundrelisn. The people are too
busy to attend to these matters; endued with
disposition to attend to their own business,
they lose sight Of the man9uvres Of poll
ticans, and though they may occasionally
observe some trick which saturates them with
scorn for the tricksters, they still hold their
peace, until silence has almost become a
crime We believe that political transac-
tons can be as honestly conducted as private
business; and it is time that villains and
drones of every dimension and dye, should
be taught that they must look to other
sources for supplies. They must be told that
law and Justice, and every instinct OF reason,
insist that political convicts, men guilty OF
larcenies, and breaches of trust, and of gross
robberies, under the guise of politics, share
the same fate visited upon moral criminals
They cannot learn too soon that there are
Work Houses and State Prisons, and cold
lodging and hard fare, for men of their stripe
instead of Halls in the Castle Of lndolence
corpuent Offices luxurious couches and cpl
curean delicacies.
The men of the present Legislature have
commenced the work; let them prosecute 1t
with vigor and quickly return to the res
pectable avocations of private life. Above
all things, let them not forget to observe the
movements of that sly ''varmint," Gen. Es-
tells Relief Bill; it lis not dead but sleep
eth" Its magnificent and plausible origin
ator, has very lately boasted of his expected
triumph on this score. He thinks yet that
he can pass it;-should he do so in defiance
of decency and justice, such as we believe to
exist both in the Senate and Assembly, the
last hope of an outraged people will cling
with the tenacty Of "a drowning man to a
straw" to the frmness and uprightness OF
Gov. Johnson. Will the Governor deceive
them. Time will tell.
r.n1r Mo1.>r.r,- The wnalth of Tahle