Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-01-21
STATE AND COUNTY REFORMS.

| ceptlng editors of newspapers, to attempt to
offer an opinion or suggestion in relation to
any of the topics embraced in the message, or
to introduce others of similar character,
which have been omitted.
With all due Difference to the affirmative Of
the proposition, yet not quite satisfied with
the simple dofing of my hat by way of re-
spect allow me to offer few thoughts, which,
if they are not worth the paper and type
work. l trust will not otherwise seriously
| damage the rights of others, or disturb the
! general repose.
do not propose to strike out new paths, but
to follow quietly where others have led. Gre
form" is no new subject, and it would seem
from the long time which it has occupied pub
lie attention. it will answer to talk about and
write about for a long time to come.
The Governor notices the consolidation
scheme of Probate and Insolvency, and says
| it "works well, :" which would have been equal
ly gratifying, had he given particulars, and
shown wherein whether as matter of conven-
fence or profit to the people of the Common
WEALTHY VI pOlll5 VI lllS pOlltlCetl
skies had become brighter by engrafing upon
the Republican stock, that strange scion of a
popular 'ism," which camored or a fifth wheel
to the COACH which had run very well with but
four.
The bagging live men and dead men, pro-
miscuously, seemed odd at first, and the ne
cessiiy of so doing is about as hard to under
stand, now, as when first preached. But, if
anything has been gained to help the treasury
or if better adapted to the wants of the people,
or if politics have been purified, or strengthen
ed in the right direction, then something has
been gained, and the anomaly, however appar-
ent, may be easily reconciled, and turned to
good account. One thing has been accomplish
ed but whether the democratic or the aIisto-
cratic principle has gained the most in the pro-
cess-whether few offices which yielded but
poor compensation before, are now, by the
new order of things, made to pay literally,
ousting some, aud driving others into corner,
whether on the whole the arrangement may be
pronounced good, is a question upon which
public sentiment is not permanently establish
ed. Still, for the present, as we have had the
assurance from so high source, we are bound
to the belief that it works we'll What if Com
missioners of Insolvency are whitfield down to
the humble duties of swearing man out of
Jail, or of administering an oath So are JUS
tees of the Peace made to take lower stool
for short time, until the treasury becomes
replenished; and then, take it, they are to be
restored to their original prerogatiyes, when
the good time coming arrives, of limiting Grim
inal matters to towns and counties.
How suggestive that part Of the message
relative to County expenditures without re-
sponsibility True to the letter! But it seems
hard that Justices of the Peace must be shout
dered witt. the whole blame. They richly de-
serve sound thrashing for their deeds of
omission and commission, no doubt; but, as
most of them are now suffering on penitential
stools prepared for them, it would seem but
just that, while they are serving out their
time, a more extended observation of County
affairs should be taken, with view of discov-
ering other leakages in the County reservoir.
We are go-ahead people, and so was Guilt
ver After a hard ride in quest of the silver
Ratchet, his horse, well nigh exhausted, stopped
short at a spring. His rider noticed his won
derful thirst, and began to wonder where all
the water went to, and on looking round, dis
covered that his beast was minus his posterior,
so that the water escaped in one direction as
fast as it entered in the other.
Now, while we are docking round" why
not go directly to the fountain head of ire
sponsibilitya Where, on the face of the earth,
is a more irresponsible power than our Boards
of County Commissioners. No reference is
here had to any of the numerous incumbents,
personally, but simply to the law ITSELF consti-
tuting them and establishing their powers
Contrary to every principle of taxation and
representation, we have, here, by statute laws,
enacted from time to time by the representa-
tives of free government, kind of code
much resembling that of Napoleon the Less.
They may make County roads, town roads,
or unmake them; they may saddle towns
with old, unproductiye turnpikes, for the
public good or private DAMAGE they are
our sole judges in all cases of railroad cross
ings, throughout the State, whether by this or
that particular arrangement, generally to suit
the convenience of interested corporations; the
lives of our citizens in passing along our town
roads, are, or are not endangered-and, to
crown the whole, they may tax the people to
any extent they may judge proper, by the cree
ton of county buildings, their alterations, re-
pairs, or general Improvements and all this
without even notice, in any form, that such
is their design, or that anything of the kind is
necessary. So, in erecting the new Court
House at Worcester, not one in ten of the tax
payers in the county knew that an obligation
of some eighty or one hundred thousand dol
lars had been incurred, till the whole thing was
completed. The same thing is now being re-
peated at Fitchburg on a still larger SCALE and,
whether the people are more or less to be
taxed, by this new 'honor to the State" re-
mains to be seen.
Then we have an increasing county debit
Whence comes it Look at our grass grown
county and town roads, which have been fas-
tened upon the people, for the public good"
for some twenty-five years past, and you have
the answer, not in relation to county alone, but
to town Indebtedness. AS an instance of tom
foolery on an extensive scale, look at new
piece of county road built recently in the
Northerly part of this county, at cost of some
five thousand dollars, solely and exclusively to