The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-12
A SuFpriSed Party,

Our neighbor Of the Bugle acknowledges
himself "listle surprised at the leader in
the last Nonpareit," and "cannot see how an
examination Of the present County Judges
official conduct, will make him the 'scape
goat for his Immediate predecessors. p
His surprise is not to be wondered at, and
is accounted for very readily-and we care
not to handy words about the premises from
which he reasons. We heartily agree with
our neighbor, that it Is time stop was put
to the bad management Of our county affairs,
md the only way to do that is to examine
into the affairs of the present County Judge.
While believing thus, VIC think the proposed
investigation, in not going back to his I'M
mediate predecessors, did injustice to Mr..
SHERMAN. If there had never been any
charges Of corruption and ma!feasance in
Office, against his predecessors, then we
should have thought the Office of the inves-
tigating committee true and correct one,
and should have willingly seconded their
commission, and used our best cndeavors to
have had the investigation perfected imme-
datelv. The proposed investigation did
not contemplate an overhauling of the official
acts of the predecessors Of Judge SHERMAN,
and it is upon that ground We take issue
with it, and for these reasons:
|. If the committee had investigated the
nffnirs of the present County Judge, and
found them all correct, all the charges of
corruption raised against his predecessors,
would have been considered of the same
character, as those now urged against Mr..
SHERMAN, and no Investigation OF their af-
fairs would ever be had.
.. The appointment Of committee to
examine into the affairs of the present County
Judge, tacitly implies that charges Of cor
rup,icn and malfeasance in Office, against
him, are better grounded, than those against
his predecessors.
Now, we said last week, and we here
itcrate the same. that nncty-n!ne men out
If every hundred, under circumstances Of
this discriminating character, would object
in toto to rest under m implied suspicion
Of that import, and consent to be made the
scape-goat Of others, about whose official
acts there had been full as much animad-
version. We're we County Judge (thc Lord
knows VIC never want or expect to beg at
this timc-and were MI our official acts like
Caesars wife, "nbove suspicion"-anl we
were surrounded with such circumstances as
now encompass the administration Of Judge
SHERMAN, no investigation committee would
be permitted to examine our affairs, unless
they did so, by "brute force" That's our
code of ethics, and We are willing to stand
or fall 10y them.
We do not desire to be Misunderstood
We arc rs anxious Us our neighbor can he,
TO have the Affairs of the county investigated
we believe all the allegations made against
the present County Judge, are true, IN all
material respects. We implicitly beliere,
also, all tho charges Of corruption and
malfeasanco in Office, made against his two
immediate predecessors, and should rejoice
in any movement having for its object, the
bringing to light of their official acts, rs
well rs those Of the present incumbent. 1t
IS just as easy to commence at the founda-
ton Of tho rottenncss, As Mt the apex, and
much moro effective. If the county affairs
are and have boon badly managed, and we
maintain both propositions, let measures be
instituted for a complete inv estigation, from
beginning to end. An investigation of that
character would satisfy every body, save
few who have fattencJ and grown rich upon
the spoils Of Office.
With our neighbor, we have little faith, in
tho acts Of Courts and Grand Juries, in
matters Of this kind. If left to them, tho
native rascality Of some of our County
judges will never be brought to light, and
tho Affairs Of the county will continue to be
carried on their present bewidered, confused
and corrupt manner, until forhearancc ceases
to be a virtue, when wo may expect the
people to take hold of the matter, and, at
all hazards, sift the whole thing to the bot
tom.
1t matters little to us, in what light the
BuJle looks upon Judge SuaRMA>'s refusal
to let the Investigating committee examine his
affairs, but for oursclf, We can say, that such
refusal has not strengthened, or aba.cd in the
least, our opinion of the honesty and purity
of his Official acts. We nerer believed that
his olfcial oath prccluded him from prosti-
tutin: his Office to subserve base personal
and political ends. We nerer believed that
his moral principles would prevent him from
sacrificing the public interest to his own
personal asgrandizement, or that of his IA.
vorites, hangers on and counselors, there
fore, no net of his, (unless it were a good
act, which we believe could only occur by
accilent) could lead US to change our opin.
ion Of his merits as an officer.
We have now said all we have to say
upon this subject We are for investigation
all the while-we object to any discrmina-
tion--and hope the good citizens Of the
county, will see to it that thorough inves-
,isatiou Of the affairs of this county is had
Immediately, at any and every hazard
rhom's our sent ments.
Hardly Probable.
After tho election of Gov. BINGHAM, of
Michigan, to the United States Senate, in
place of STUART, some of the Democratic
organs took it into Their noodles to state,
that rs Senator, his leaning, would be to-
wards his original principles, democracy
10 VIII oh insinuation, the Marshall States
man responds rs follows: SIN regard to
Gov. BtNcuAs's crnw fishing towards any
principles which so badly faint the compost
tion of JAMES BUCHANAN and STEPHEN A.
DorGLAs, the thing is as improbable as it
would be for white pine dog with popple
tail and Eastwood ears, to climb beech.
maple, apple tree with loaf Of bread in
his month and thcn s;nr Eke piyht;n