Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1888-12-08


cur ENPENsEs KENoksEs.kssLf.
II there is any ability IN the Legislature
Of this State. to meet nert month. !.
should devote itself to . remorseless cut
ting Of State. eounty and town expenses.
Unf~ortunstely the people Of NevAds have
= habit. a. . rule, Of selecting weak AID
inexperienced men 10 make their laws
Every Law. practically. that touches the
citizen is . State law. We are protected
in life, liberty ssi property By State Law.
Indeed ell Of the more sacred popular
rights affecting society individually and
collectively, are secured and guarded BY
State enactment. Our marriage relation,
our free school system, and all of the In
stitusions thai com close TO the hearts
Of the people are matters under the i'm
mediate control Of the local Legislature.
With SO much Of the very 6rst import
knee st STAKE, it would naturally be in
tsrred that the people Of the State would
lodge these grave responsibilities with
none but the best and most capable men
TO be found in the several counties. Yet
| il lie true that fitness and ability are sell
| dom, il ever, considered. Rank partisan
prejudice has everything 10 do with de-
termining the choice Of our lawmakers.
Whether the aspirant for legislative hon
ors be . Republican or a Democrat, or
how he will vote for U. s. Senator, has
sll 10 do with his election. Party lines
are usually 80 closely drawn that the
grossest ignorsnus rum ss well as the
| ablest man In the commonwealth. Men
are chosen TO the Legislature who know
no more Of the theory aud genius OF our
government and the important duties de-
volviug upon them as legislators. than a
| hog knows about Latin. With an occa-
sional rare exception, the membership Of
the incoming Legislature lie perhaps az
weak intellectually ss the State has aver
known. 1t is not possible for them TO
grasp the higher obligations OF local state
craft, but we have thought it possible to
thump into them something Of a purely
practical nature. This would lead them
to consider questions affecting reductions
in all official and governmental expendi.
lures with unsparipg hand. Ten officers
to each county is too many. Three can
do the work In any county in the State.
There Is hardly a State office in which
the principal may not with ease, and
have abundant leisure TO spare. discharge
every duty incumbent upon his position.
Deputyships should nat longer be toler-
ated in either State or county, Cut them
all off at the pockets. Where the con
stitution does not prevent, Offices and
official work should be piled on fewer
men and the few made TO do the work.
There should have been a Constitutions
Convention years ago, as the quick and
direct way to rid ourselves Of one half Of
our constitutional officers and other iDhi
billions on the Legislature in the direction
of economic government. In little Ne
Faua We u oN iuiiy uipP ~ YIN
GERS and pay them as high salaries as tbs
great State OF New York. Hall the coun
ties In the State are staggering updel
great loads Of debt. Taxation in most o
them is from three to five per cent. Fed
eral tariff taxation On most Of the thing
we consume 10 Nevada will average AZ
per cent more. Thus local and National
taxes are weighing down the energies o.
, our people to an unbeatable degree. w
cannot attract immigration while Thu
condition prevails. Our rate Of taxation
is more than money is worth or will carr
in the East. We must get down to bed
rock principles in our expenditures. Lay
the pruning knife at the very root o
costly government. The consolidation o
offices, and not of counties, 10 the wa
to reduce expenses. Under our fee an(
mileage system the small counties hav'
always been freer Of debt than the larg'
ones. County seats should be kept con
venient to the people. But slaughtel
!, the number Of offices and officers merci-
lessly. Consolidate and retrench all along
the line.