Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-08-02

THr CousrY DrBr.-A city paper states
thst there ere now 10000 ofcounty orders
out. and that they are eel ing at rs cents on
the dollar. Hthis be 90, and we are not
questioning the truth OF the ststement, then
ii aptlv illustrates what Democratic rule or
misrule will do. Four years ago when
Democratic coun y judge was elected to su-
pereede man of opposite politics, the op-
position having had the ONCE the Tour
years previous, there was net a county or
der ou', or II any orders were out, they were
promptly redeemed at par on presentation.
The county was indeed out Of debt. 1t 10
now admitted there are s20.OSO Of county
orders out and selling st ~ per cent dis
nt,-0asetl<
The foregoing paragraph indi 'atss de-
sire on the part Of the Gazette to make tho
condition Of our county finances party
matter. We ha no . partizan feeling in com
menting on the present deplorabls deprecia.
tioo Of the eountys credit. but ss the Go
selte seems anxious for . contest, We are
perfectly willing TO take up the political
gauntlet which it very foolishly throws
down.
We happen to know who are the lame
ducks among our county officers. who Of
our ex-oficials are more than suspected of
embezzling Witness fees and of realizing
"pickings and stealings," and what party is
responsible for emptying the Golfers Of tie
people of Scott. In the first place, we pro.
test against calling Bill Cook Democratic
Office holder. 1t is true he was elected kby
the Democratic party, but hardly was he
warm in his chair before he went over with
Hiram Price, bag aud baggage. to the
Know Nothings-with which faction (now
calling itself the Republican partly he is to
this day acting. He is no more worthy to
be classed among Democrats than is Judas
Iscariot to be called faithful follower of
the Redeemer. Bill Cook enlarged the sys-
tenn which the Reverend Burris, under the
tutelage Of Hiram Price, inaugurated. I'm
der his adn inistration the bulk of the coun-
ty debt was incurred. Some of his expendi-
lures were we'll enough, particularly where
he sold rock off his own farm to the county
at very moderate rate. but other expen-
ses which he connived at we're about as
necessary as freebooting.
We are told by q gentleman who has
means of information, that Judge Cook was
constantly in the habit of permitting Repub-
lican Township Trustees to furnish paupers
with coffee, tea, sugar, molasses. lamps,
gas, raisins and postage stamps, the principal
cause of the county debt, and is given to pau
pers. and it is easily seen that when the coun
ty Judge pampers paupers with better food
than most of our farmers are in the habit Of
getting-the annual expenses of the county
must increase to frightful degree. This
was the state of facts when Judge Weston
came into flee. and the records and files of
his court will show how thorough and com.
plete wac the reformation he speedily effect
ed. Although the times have been uncom.
monty hard since his term began. and the
number of mendicants unusually large, he
has reduced the pauper expenses to the
county at least fifty per cent below what
they were during the palmy days of Bill
Cook.
Those who know anything.of the powers
and duties of the County Judge. are aware
that he has no control over the collection
and handling of our county moneys. He
merely enters on his minute book an order
for the levying of the tax and audits claims
preferred against the county. He ought to
be called the County Auditor. Not dol
lar Of the county money ever comes into his
hands. That passes through-and some
times sticks to-the fingers of the Treasur-
er and Recorder. All, therefore, that
County Judge can do, is, to protect the
county from unjust and extravagant claims
by rejecting or cutting down those which
ought not to be approved. The manner in
which Judge Weston has reduced the pau
per expenses is but an instance of the rigid
economy he has introduced into all matters
over which he has control. The persons
who are responsible for the pauper charges
of this township are John Owens, Barton
S.Glaspell and Jost Schroepfer-all of whom
are Republicans-and it happens that in
almost every township of the County. the
Trustees who are overseers Of the poor, are
oil Republicans. We have, therefore, the
most perfect confidence that the trouble in
our county finances 10 to be looked for else
where than in the office of the present
County Judge.
Our farmers have some shrewd suspicious
about the way in which our Treasurer man.
ages his affairs Certain it is, that since he
has been in office. It has been next to i'm
possible to get . county order cashed.-
Though many must have poured in to the
County Treasury-during the flush times Of
1856 and ls67-you could no more get
dollar out cf it than draw blood from .
stone We believe that Mr.. McCosh is far
from being . defaulter, but We moet res
pectfully suggest to him. that it is high time
that some Of the money in the treasury
came out Of it.
SUNDAY AMusRMENrs.-We have
resided in Davenport some four years. but
We do not recollect Of ever having seen -
much carousing on Sabbath 20 We witness
ed on the one just past Early in the morning
the fun commenced, and it was kept up
pretty generally al day. A party Of gay