Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-08-26
THE COURT HOUSE CLIQUE.
II b M 8 K Uplifte

|
. The M u k plifted!
Their Surveillance oper Tho I" "Enquirer"-I
dare not publish Communication from q
Democrat, refscting on their Gresdinss
for the Spoils Of Office!
J SOMEBODY BREAKS THE PRESS
The following candid and plain-spoker
communication, from an influential Democrat
of this city, was handed to Mr.. Biles for pub
lication in the Enquire, some days ago. He
made no objection to publishing it at the time
but, after consulting with his masters at the
Court House, it seems that scheme was
adopted for keeping it from the light till after
the Convention, to be held tomorrow. The
writer went to the Office, this morning, and,
finding that his communication had not been
put in type, demanded the reason, when Mr..
Biles apologized by saying that it reflected too
severely on some of the county officers. 1t
seems to have been his settled purpose to keep
it snugly ensconced in his pocket till too late
for publication in either Of the papers. He
AYERS that his press is broken, and be is una
ble to issue paper this week anyhow. Very
fortunate accident, indeed, for tho "Court
House Cliquer'
1t will be seen that "Reform" has consid-
cradle to say about high and oppressive tax
alton. Our readers should bear in mind that
our State tax is not as high now as when the
State was under Democratic rule. 1t is,
therefore, the county tax, levied by the pres
ent ''economicap' Democratic officers, which
makes taxation so burdensomc at this time.
| [For the Enquirer.
| To THE SovERRIaNs OF MUscArlNE COUNTY.
AS the time is near at HAND for holding our
County Conventions, for the purpose of
selecting candidates to fill our county offices,
and also to elect members to represent us in
the popular branch Of our State Legislature
for the ensuing two years, will volunteer a
word Of advice, founded on my own expert
ence and observation in these matters
We have all experienced sad and SORROW
full lesson in all our financial relations within
the past two years, and almost every man in
the county is asking himself the questions !:
Why is it that our taxes are so high ?-Is
there no way of reducing them ?-&c., &c.
Now, in my opinion, there is way, and only
one way, of reducing them to proper and
living standard and if the conventions of
both political parties, soon about to act, will
resolve to lay aside all favoritism, and place
men in nomination solely with view to their
fitness for the Office for which they have been
selected, this much desired object will most
certainly be attained. Heretofore, both polit-
ical parties have not manifested sufficient zeal
IN, <fanI nm h,,k ho Ua
allowed them to be managed by few Office
seekers and political tricksters, who hang
around our county-seat, with no visible means
of making living.
Why speak Of the extreme injustice Of the
present school law. or any of the odious or
oppressive laws entailed on US by Republican
rule, unless we first endeavor to purge our
selves of errors that have crept into the man.
agement of our own county matters? The
tax payers of this county have all seen and
felt enough to satisfy them that thorough
system Of retrenchment and reform is the
only thing that will save them from ruin.
Why do we pay such enormous taxes
What becomes of this money? Nothing can
be more desirable than a thorough investiga-
ton of, whatever may have tendency to
diminish this evil. A few years since, when
our farmers and business men all felt as
though they were making money, it made but
little difference to them whether their taxes
were heavy or light. The farmer was blessed
with fine crops and fine prices; his land was
doubling in value once in two or three years,
and it made but little difference to him
whether his taxes were twenty or one hundred
dollars per year; but alas a financial crisis
has swept over our land and all men who
have had either heavy or light taxes to pay
have been compelled to deprive themselves,
not only of the luxuries, but of some of the
comforts of life, to meet those demands.
When an individual finds that his income
is not sufficient to meet his expenditures, the
proper place for him to commence a reform is
in his own household, right upon his own
hearthstone. When reform is demanded in
the affairs of county, that reform should
commence in her own Court House, in her
county offices. I will therefore say to all
persons Of both political parties, who not only
ask, but demand, a change in the administra-
ton Of the affairs of our county, to be on the
ground at your coming conventions. Discuss
this subject Of reform fully, fairly and can.
didly; then select from among the best men
in both parties candidates possessing the
requisite qualifications for either office-men
whose sympathies and feelings are with your.
selves; who, for the past two years, have
borne portion of the burthens referred to
not men (like some of the present incumbentsl
whose names cannot be found on the tax lists
of either the county or the city in which they
live. As general rule, the old Democratic
doctrine of rotation in office works we'll.
There may, however, be some exceptions to
the rule; but, in my opinion, it never applied
with such peculiar force as at the present time,
By selecting men who have been forced to
economist in their own matters during the
present crisis, we may expect them to carry
that feeling into office with them, and give US
the benefit Of it; but, by re nominating the
present incumbents, who have been living
during the hard times upon fat offices, we can
have no such hope. 1t will not only be q
benefit to the county, but benefit to the
present incumbents themselves, to let 20 the
public teat and scratch for themselves awhile
with the majority. Why are the present
incumbents disposed, like leeches, to hold on
to our county Offices? 1t is fact, perhaps,
not generally known to the people of the
county, that, the higher the revenue of the
county, the more lucrative to the officers.
Moneys collected by the County Judge or
Treasurer frequently remain in their hands