The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-09-03

V-.
~ ,.esessasa 1er Gender I'D sair Asaltsg wih hi
-. . -, - a. ksse,as ~ bese claas sses
..ness. ~ ssspssk for hin vssy liberal pasreaast
asssb-seia -.
ceaney judge system aaA Co0nty
ExPeDses.
+, -. Democratic role Of ''Rspsblican Extrav
..p "Awful Disclosures" sBAnArup
-svr b., o., SCENE to be played on,
"a Ne now propose to produce another sub
G. inuuiry. There has been vast deal Q
. ..,..ie complaint because the State taxes
.l,ch the Executive the Legislative and ID,
",.,;.l departments Of the government ar,
..;,.d-by which the benevolent institution
=. s,.,e have been built, and the deaf ant
:. md blind children belonging TO nearly
..,ooo people, educated and supported-b,
- ~ ladians have been kept from breaklsi
..,,leucnts on the Northwestern from
!. daty that the national govesnosn
ss,A % perform,) and BY which all the thos-
IA expenses Of State government hav'
a;.eh.rged, have amounted to one and
~ mills on the dollar. Yet, here are the
n Des Noines county, very quietly sub
~. y III. imposition of ajax Of 's's~ mills
3. so,lar soe county purpssss. Why \
= -. IN, becomes Of this money! whe ha'
,-.,d who the disbursement Of ii! These
W." ,.,v pertinent inquiries. and should b
;a,o BY the people Of this county.
=. s..,. taxes charged against Dvs Aoines
-, 4, 1858 amounted to s9,s4s.7o at II
-. ~, on the dollar. Upon the same assess
u. ~ county taxes Of 'see" mile on the
~. amounted 20 t4s,ell,s2. There vac
III, ,.;sed. however. the sum Of ~. @ss. Sc.
49,. -, IA sAs e4Asss.ss. rsissA By
-. ,.xa,ion fros The people. for county par
!. -. Who kso~s asd Who v'll tells
IT,. ,s...,A lellass Of il can be lex,simatsly
-..A = = icing paid il discharge Of the
,s... !. Il, sssnty debt, but that leaves .
~. = sssSsa,Ss unaccounted for. How
=, -, espeu1sdi
n. s.sple Of ,his county are occasionally
.dis.d By The sight Of . very brief, nicely got
:. u,uted balance sheet, which proves nothing
..d does not show to whom. or for what
.;... a|levsucs has ever been made. These
,.n.n are merely designed to let US know that
:. have q county officer, who thinks he can
s,iks balance, Tor, surely, they cannot be in
ended 10 enlighten anybody about county
shrs.
Tn 10 1851 ~e had the County Commissioner
,stem in this State. Under that system every
pars Of the county was represented IN county
sifairs-every oct in which the county WAS IN
arrested was performed in spen light Of day
every dollar expended was published to the
world in an annual statement with the name
Of the person receiving and the purpose for
which it was paid and the result was, that
he expenses of the county then, bore no COM
arson to what they are nor. In 1851 Judge
r.sop gave us the Code, with an entire new
r,,xm Of organization. For the County Com
ui.souefs be substituted q County Judge, to
whom vs entrusted not only the entire and
unrestricted control Of ali county matters, but
h lLs added to the other responsibilities Of
tii officer the whole probate business of the
county. No officer was ever before created
sder . written Constitution, or in free
government, where the incumbent welded SO
much irresponsible power. The autocrat OF
Russia lie impotent by the side OF an Iowa
County Judge. The Gar is responsible to bis
sobles, to bis army. and, in good degree, to
u enlightened public sentiment; but An Iowa
County Judge is responsible to nobody and TO
ao.hing. He leyies whatever taxes he sees fit,
extends or suspends the time Of payment as he
ses Ct, eniorces the payment ~ he pleases,
semits ssIes entirely ct his option, pays out
money when, TO whom, and for what purpose
be pleases, establishes and vacates roads to
suit himself, issues wrts Of injunction without
ksosing the first psinciples Of Law, supports
such Of bic friends At the county expenses
either at the poor-house, at their own houses,
" in some petty Office which be creates ior
The purpose, 40 he chooses, buys, builds, rents,
slls and demolishes county buildings, farms
nd town lots, At his will, and without the
slightest check or limitation on his power, and
sthout rendering an account to anybody
q has the custody of all orphans and lunatics
Nd wards, and the control Of their property.
And then, all the property Of the county
passes through his hands, once in twenty years,
" the Probate Judge.
There probably have been men who could
exercise the duties Of this office without OPP
pressing any one, and without causing reproaeh
V themselves. Chef Justice Marshall, IL liv-
ing, might, herhsps, be ssfely entrusted with
he duties Of such au Office ; and perhaps John
lay; but John Asrshalis and John Jays are
alher scarce in these days, anywhere, and
nrtculsrly in Iowa.
We do not mean to say that any Judge of
d. Hoines county has been guilty Of defal.
aaou or fraudulent appropriation Of public
honey, Tor we have no means Of knowing any
Ting about it, and nobody else has but no
mean to cay that no man should be trusted
viii the irresponsible power that is by Law con-
sred upon the County Judge,-thst the ad-
niasIra.ion Of county affairs under the present
rsen 10 secret, expensive aud unsatisfactory,
~, in scme counties, is exceedingly opprss-
ave. and 10 fast becoming 80 in this.
The people Of Illinois tried the County Judge
sssn some years ago upon very modified
~, but we're soon constrained to abandon Il.
@Nat ia, that, at this time, the State taxes
Elarois are much heavier than in Iowa, while
NeeOunsy administration, conducted by County
COMMISSIONER, is much less expensive than in
loua.
a County 'adgs, under the present organiza.
.0u' should be . thorough accountant, an able
'''ae'er' man Of sound judgment, . skillful
.sneef' good chancellor, and . learned pro-
a lawyer. Where are the men combining all
ssse qualities, to 10 founds For the want of
'<l an ansstainable officer, our comfy taxation
map last year, TO Is. o7s 81, for in addison
'ae regular levy Of t44,ss 81, We had .
Peesl school tax Of So, 4ss 81.
D's STANCE Inconsistency, the County Judge
Wy As the sole auditing officer, and passes The
.s'0n's OF other county officers, whilst he 10
-a'eh the sole disbursing officer, and NO mon
" can be paid from the treasurv exeept upon