Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-11-02
TO THE PEOPLE OF JEFFERSON
COUNTY,

and temperance parties, regardless oi
their political views, aud except our
Senator and Members they will have
no political acts to perform
For eight years this county has been
democratic, and 4eneralIy SO since the
State was organized. Wits this we
fnd no fault. Jefferson County has
the same right to be Democratic that
Rock or Columbia have to be Repubii-
can. But it often happens that when
party has clear majority, there vii!
grow up party within party-a SET
or Clique who can manage to constantly
control nominations, until the Offices
descend by rule almost as certain as
the descent Of poverty to heirs at law
The office holder keeps an office as
long as he can, and then appoints his
successor, and if there is any fault
with h accounts, they are in the most
friendly hands and carefully consigned
TO oblivion.
his has been true in Jefferson
County. No matter who was elected,
one man is always the Sheriff The
Registers office, with u few exceptions
belongs to one family The treasury is
always in the same sbank. We have
the same District Attorney, with acct
dental exceptions. One Clerk of the
Court held four years, and his sou is
on the present. ticket; and another
Clerk has held four years, and never
lets 90 of good thing if he can help
it. One man was acting Clerk Of the
Board of Supervisors six years-and
the County Judge holds for life.
| The Democracy, practically, is con-
trolIed by few men, at Watertown and
Jefferson, aided by three or four men
at other points. The natural conse-
quence is that every officer must be
subservient to these self chosen rulers
He must carry out their schemes or
suffer political martyrdom.
The result of such state Of things,
long continued, is necessarily more or
less extravaganza, waste and corruption.
All men need watching. The books of
every Office Misunderstanding every few
years, by men who will look fer errors,
and expose them if found.
Our County expenses are fearfully
large. There must be large leakages
somewhere. If things are not abso
lutely corrupt, and rotten, there is
carelessness and recklessness in the
use of the peoples money. These
things require critical examination in
all the departments.
Now, how shall we get this? We
cannot by keeping the same men and
their deputies. forever in the same of
fees. And so long as Democrats sub
nit to the rule Of packed caucuses anC
conventions We cannot get rid Of these
men. They can only be got rid of by
a little healthy boiling.
Those Democrats who are tired of
| thi, state of things must break loose
and unite with the minority parties
enforce a new deal, and elect new mea
who will reform all such abuses as have
crept in during successive terms Off
GERS who act as unit.
Now, the Democrats not inside the
ring-the Republicans and Temper
ance men-desire a rigid investigation
aud scrutinizing accounts of THEN
stewards in Office, aud they have uni
ted for reform and change in county
administration. In 1860 change O
administration in county matter:
brought to light errors Of hundreds o
dsllars in settlements Of the County
Board and the Treasurer We do no.
doubt but in some of the Offices like
errors would now be found whereby
large sums might be secured to the
county, as was then done.
In the war times and when it tool
neal ly three dollars 10 sreenbacks tt
buy gold dollar, the salaries and fees
Of our officers were gradually raised
and they have never been lowered
| They remain at war prices, while all
other things have fallen nearly to
specie basis.
Now there must be retrenchment'
and We can only obtain it by breakin:
up the influence Of these men wh
have hereditary claims to the offices
and feel as if they were PERSONAL,
about to lose all the reductions 10 sal
aries, fees and perquisites.
1t is true that the County Board, t.
some extent, control salaries, but it i
also true that the County Board 4
greatly controlled by the influence o
these men behind the throne, VIII
make and unmake officials at will. S.
long as these cliques, and not the PEG
pie, control public affairs, our affair
will be run in the interest Of the clique
and not the people, aud all real re
| trenchment end reform will be impossi
bic
The persons nominated on the Dem
ocratic ticket are good man, as men
but they owe their nominations ant
their allegiance to the same set VIII
have waxed fat in office. and they can
not be relied upon, if elected, to re
form abuses and stop leakas es which
have been so profitable to them anC
their predecessors 1t would be fla
mutiny If they should inaugurate re
| form.
But the men presented on the PEG
Piles Ticket are new men They vii
owe fealty to no clique, and no party
| and will not eA oect to be reelected, OF
to appoint their own successors. Two
years hence, in tie Presidential cleo
| ton, party lines will be dram, and
| there can be no Peoples Ticket.
These men will be at liberty to, and
will feel inclined to inquire diligently
into our whole County management
and to contrive ways and means to cut
down our expenditures in every depart
ment.
Our County government really is
not fer the benefit Of the ofhceholders
but of the people. and we should seek