The Nevada journal., 1857-02-27
OFFICIAL BoNDs--Mr. WAITE's BILL.

instances of rascality in Office have oc-
Cured how many thousands of dollars
of the peoples money have been stolen,
or mis-applied! And still the plumber
goes on, and will go on, as reckless as
ever, unless an effectual check is ap-
piled. The utter worthlessness of Off
cial bonds must have struck every one,
long ere a thousand defalcations in our
public officers had afforded their accu-
mulated evidence of the fact. 1t is a
notorious truth, that in all the multitu-
dinous instances of official stealing that
have disgraced the state. rarely has
dollar been recovered from the sureties
on bonds. Indeed. men who are accus-
toned to attach their names to official
bonds, have come to regard the act as a
mere form, without risk or obligation,
and write their appellations with as lit
tie consideration as when petition is
shown them praying the general gov
ernment for more postal facilities.
The dishonesty of our officers, state
and county, has been our disgrace, and
straw bonds our curse. We are glad
that at last an effort is being made to
secure the people against further plum
der with impunity. A bill has been in
troduced into the senate, by Mr.. Waite
of this county, which, if it becomes a
law. will at least procure safety to pub
lie funds, if not honesty in the officers
having them in charge. 1t provides
that bonds of state and county officers
shall be secured by pledge of real es-
or by bonds of the state at two thirds
their face. The penal bonds are to be
appropriately recorded, that no loss or
abstraction of securities shall operate to
the detriment of the public. The bill
contains other provisions to perfect it,
not necessary here to notice.
The State journal, of course, has to
expend little superabundant wisdom,
collected in the little circle of its kim
dred spirits, in condemnation of the
measure. 1t meets with high disfavor
among the admirers of Estell, white
washers of Bates, and tools of Palmer,
Cook & Co., as might have been pre-
dicted. The whole pack of rascals
throughout the state, are terribly exer-
cised about the bill of Mr.. Waite, and
will be more so, if it becomes a law, as
it ought to, for then Othello's occupa-
ton will be gone.
The opponents of the bill exclaim
against its impractical and unprecedent-
ed nature, prate of its tendency to put
only rich men in office, to the exclusion
of the poor, and commiserate the Gov
ernor that so many troubles are heaped
upon him, in hunting up titles to real
estate.
Coming from the source the objec-
tions do, they would be entitled to no
notice from US, but that some honest
men might be deceived thereby. We
shall, therefore, defend the bill against
the imputations of its enemies, believing
that among all the measures ever pro-
posed for the security of public funds,
the bill of Mr. Waite strikes most surely
at the root of official pilfering, and is
eminently designed to secure integrity
in the administration of collecting and
disbursing officers, and to restore, in a
great degree, the credit of the state.
That is impractical which fails in ex-
ecution what it promises in theory OF
design. The present law concerning
sureties to bonds, was framed to secure
the public against loss of public funds
in the hands of their servants. Such
was its design = such its promise. But
are the funds secured? Every one
knows they are not. On the contrary,
they are at the disposal of every mer-
cenary scamp who has the good fortune,
to himself, of being elected to Office.
He squanders ad Hbttum and where is
the redress! The bondsmen are ar
raigned, and here the old adage, "sue
a beggar and catch a louse,' will apply
in its fullest force.
The present bill only proposes to
make the laws now existing PRACTICAL
to give them vitality and effect The
object ofpenal bonds is security. Pres
eat laws fail in this particular, and they
are impractical, as they do not accom-
plish the object for which they were de-
signed. The bill of Mr.. Waite contem-
plates nothing but a secure mode of
CARRYING out the design of statutes now
70 mt fbem in nractical