The herald., 1896-01-03
Conventions Handled by Distri-
button of Patronage
PAYING POLITICAL DEBTS
Ia This County the Taxpayers MuIcted
for That Purpose
Convention Delegates Who Follow the Be-
hests Of the Bosses and the Ring Re-
membered at the Proper Tins

new year and now everybody is looking to
it for results. 1t is true that some few
| matters have been given an overhauling,
but more are in need of it.
The friends of good government and the
taxpayers generally have exhibited great
interest during the week in the pdblished
payrolls of the county and city, as printed
by The HERALD. Many expressions of
surprise at it's magnitude have been heard.
While it was generally known that the
local. governments were supporting large
number of people, many of them un-
necessary to the conduct of its business,
still there were very few who had an ade :
quate idea of the extent to which the tax
pay ers were being ridden by political pa
triots. To the great majority the publica-
ton of the facts was an astonishing revela-
ton, even to some of the members of the
grand jury.
One cannot fool all of the people all of
the time, and now that the taxpayers of the
county have an opportunity to see how the
great sums of money that are annually col
lected are being squandered, an undercur-
rent OF determination to remedy the evil is
fast assuming the proportions of torrent.
The facts that the publication of the list
OF employees has brought to the surface
have caused no end of comment.
1.-The large number of men who were
delegates to local conventions last year
that since then have had comfortable posi-
tions," says one prominent taxpayer,
"shows too plainly for error the drift OF
political manipulation. Another striking
circumstance is the number who have
travelled from one office 10 another, fl ling
in each a sinecure, and an examination of
the list of the names of these men will
show the war horses of Republican politics
in this county-those who are always at the
caucuses and primaries and later appear
in the conventions.
"Some people are sometimes deluded
with the il'ea that because the country
delegates often outnumber those from the
city in a convention the ring is unable TO
control it, but this list should remove all
such impressions. 1t shows several dele
gates from the country costly ensconsed in
fat deputyships, many others enjoying
temporary but oft-recurring turns al the
public crib and the working of the system
of employment on the public roads almost
passes belief.
sit will be noted that in several cases
whole families draw neat sums from the
county each month for work on the roads.
For farmer who has two or three sons, a
brother or two and other male relatives,
this is most handy arrangement, for
whenever work upon the farms is a little
scarce, out upon the road they go in
and doing little light exercise with pick
ana shovel, good-sized bill goes ir to the
county, and no time is lost to the family.
Instances are not rare in this county where
| from four to seven members of family,
! including the hired man, receive pay each
month for work on the roads. The favor
of this employment is paid for by the en-
tire family turning out and carrying the
precinct primary and sending to the con-
vention delegation which is entirely at
the service of the machine in making up its
slate.
sProbably the greatest imposition which
is practiced is tine payment of political
debts to incompetent workers. The extent
to which this abuse prevails and it's injury
and cost to the county can hardly be APP
preciated without personal inspection of
public records.
ries of 500 and 500 per month, who, out
side OF politics, not only could not draw
half that sum as clerks. but would not even
be tolerated as such at any price. Books
of the county are filled with penmanship
that would put school boy to the blush,
are scratched and interlined with errors
and corrections, some properties have been
assessed and re-assessed while others were
missed altogether, arithmetic is absolutely
terra incognito to half this force and a
large number of them contribute nothing
whatever to the government in the way of
taxes"
The truth of the matter is that this mat
ter is new only in it's magnitude. Year af-
ter year the number of employees grows
larger, and will continue SO to do under
the present system. New men push
their way to the trough each year and must
be cared for. Nor must the old ones be
dropped, for it requires cooperation of
majority of interests to keep the ring in
power. fhe result is The increase of men
and cost each year and the end cannot be
seen.
The general opinion is that business
administration of public affairs is what is
needed; business men in office, who will
introduce and practice business methods
This result can be attained only by the
determination by the mass of the voters
to overthrow corrupt political combina-
tons, rings and cabals.