Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-04-28


It is with pleasure that we notice con.
siderable attention given by the pres,
throughout the State, irrespective Of party
to this question. Few, If any, journal.
undertake to defend entire the present sys
TEN. Some denounce it in severe but Jus
terms. and call upon the next Legislature
for some remedial action thereon, while
others counsel modification and improve.
ment. We 60 still farther, and dcnounce
it as an outrage upon popular rights, and
ask for the repeal of the entire system
and the passage Of an act which restrict,
the County Judges authority to matter,
Of probate simply, and confers the Other
powers now exercised by the Judge upo,
Commissioners elected by the people. A,
present the power Of our County Judges
is absolute. Whatever safeguards the lie
gislature have attempted to throw around
the interests Of the public, experience has
proven to be unavsilirg-mere mockery.
The fact that the affairs Of some counties
are faithfully and satisfactorily admins
tered does not 60 at all to the REDEEM tion
Of the system. The fact tina. some coun.
ties have been made bankrupt, their pros
perisy blighted, their credit ruined, their
wealth consumed by taxes, and that every
county may be reduced to like condition
if the incumbent but will it, is decisive Of
the danger and rottenness of the whole
system. We doubt if there is another in.
stance IN this country where the public
funds and public credit are placed at the
disposal of single individual.
We are not herating the conduct of any
particular Judge. nor deploring the griev
"nces Of any particular CO unty-the evil is
general, especially in the newer portions
Of the State. The Judge has the manage
properiy-audts the Recommendations
the fnances-lets the coutracts--estab.
fishes the roads-builds the bridges-loans
the school fund. and levies the tax of the
county. This power not only extends to
every interest, but it is to all purposes
discretionary-plenary. Take, for instance
the construction of bridges over streams
not nsvigable. Notice the liberality of our
legislators: When the expense Of the
erection Of any bridge is greater than five
hundred dollars, the County Judge may
enter into a contract with any person or
persons for the construction of the same,
iror'ded, That one hundred ofthe qualified
voters Of the county petition the County
Judge Tor that purpose"
by the above statute the County Judge
at the request of one hundred voters, NAV.
If ne chooses, involve the county to the
extent Of 81 900, or s. 900, or even more,
notwithstanding every other voter in the
county may protest agains. it. Who ever
Jailed to get the requisite number o. sign.
ers And the fact has become patent
that our Judges have q wonderful reycr.
ence lof the ancestral right of petition
The undersigned your petitioae,s,n rare
~ fails to overcome the Court, and the
prayer is granted. Discretionary power
like this is dangerous prerogative. Its
easily though often unwit,ingly abused
This is by no means marked instance.
In all other matters the welfare of the conn.
ty is equally unguarded and imperIIed
The effect of all this is source of alarm.
but not OF amazcment. 1t may work no
disaster in old counties, where, under the
old system Of Commissioners, the roads
have been established, bridges built, pub
he buildings erected, and other early i'm.
provemenis effected, because the extraor.
binary powers of the Judge are less fire.
quently called into exercise, and the az
gregate OF taxable property being much
greater than with us, the burden inflicted
IS comparatively light. But in new coun
ties where all this work is now being done
the effect is deplorable, as their condition
will show. They are overtaxed-,heir
credit is impaired-their warrants ar. a
drug in the market, at fifty or even forty
cents on the dollnr-tbeir treasures are
empty-thcir liabilities are accommodating
beyond any prospect of liquidation, until
IN many instances they are reduced to the
alternative Of reputation or the rupous
sacrifice of their hard earned gains.
We think that a substantial return n
The former policy of Commissioners will
remove every cause for complaint. The
present system confers no benefit in any
quarter which the old did not better secure. |
Confdc county matters to Commissioners.
Ind we shall usually have the services of
'onest farmers and mechanics, who have
20 speculative interests to subserye. and
Who are provcrblal for economy and eff
ieDcy. DO this, and there will be little
ause to complain Of COLLISION, fraud aud
~ We call attention to tho advertise.
rent Of Messrs. J. Z. BooGg & Co. in this
'aper. Their store is well supplied with
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