Year: 1871

It. From the beginning this work Of il
y vcstigation has been strenuously ol
u posed by two classes Of persons;
c First: The dc1aultinS officers then
l. selves.


Second Their friends and suppo,
2 tcrs.


= These two classes, in the latter q
c which are included The editors of tn
: Register and Democrat, as might b
: expected, are doing all in their powe
, to manufacture public opinion agains
Q what is likely to result. 80 disastrousl,
to themselves and their friends. I,
doing this they do not hesitate to rcsor
to gross misrepresentation and ever
, falsehood Of tho blackcst type Tb'
various positions aud arguments usct
may be summed up as follows:


"This investigation amounts to moth
ing and is of no sor: Of bcnoat to tn,
> county, besides if it was to be made wh,
was not some one in Austin employed
to do it at half the price. Every dol
lar pail out for all these prosecution.
and investigations is a swindle upo1


the people," And then these assertion.


are followed up by any amount of in
|sinuations that those who are engaged


in them are doing it for personal prof


and arc as corrupt as those whom the,


prosecute. Among other ludicrous re-


marks we hear it asked by men of np


parent good sense why certain of the


old rinS-Ormango Allen or Solomar


Snow, for instance were not employed


to carry on this work. They would


have dono it for three dollars day o,


even for nothing. Now all this talk is


precisely what might have been, and


was expected, from the sources whence


it comes. Could anything else have


been expected ? Do those who have


been parties to tho frauds desire to have


them investigated? Does a guilty man


wish to sec his or mes hung out to pub


lie gaze before his eyes? DO those who


have always upheld the misconduct of
public officers and had their payin dol


lars and cents for doing so, as the oldest


paper in Austin has done habitually,
desire to have the venality and corrup-


ton laid bare !? Does criminal love
the means BY which he is convicted and


brought to justice? And more than all
does he like to help pay for his own
conviction ? If he docs then VIC might
expect tho forty thieves of tho Austin
ring and their organ the Register would
utter 4 word in favor Of investi eating
the records which disclose their wick
edness. No, no, never will the people
hear word from such sources in favor
of an honest reform in county matters.
They would love to have the old order
Of things continued. They would re-
joice to see the disgrace that has attach
cd to our county and made it by-word
in the State, perpetuatcd. They admire
the chaotic condition of the records
and call it all good They would go
into ecstacies if the killing burdens of
taxation could be continued. They
love to see the real estate of our county
deprecated and the general ruin they
have wrought.


They dare not utter an honest word
in condemnation Of the public crimes of
their own men, they dare not admit
what they know to be true. that every
dollar expended Strengthening up our
records and getting them on a cor Get
busis is ten dollars saved. They are
ghouls and croakers against public hon.
esty, always have been, aud will 60
down to their graves crying out against
any and every honest effort made to
redeem the county.


And now comes the aforesaid G. j.
Short and again raises his diminative
head and opens his piping mouth and
in behalf of his dcfaulting friends puts
in an appeal from the action Of the conf
missioners allowing the bills paid for in
vestigation and prosecution. This last
act of mcannoss is in accordance with
his moral, mental and physical status
and is just what might have been antici-
pated from one who would engage in the
criminal work of mutilating and throw
ins out election returns. But the world
will move in spite Of all such. Their
pucrilc attempts to block the wheels of
progress will only disclose their own
weakness, and hold them up to tho ridi-
culc of the better classes who are fast
forgetting that such accidental dcior-
| mites in the shape Of human beings
ever had an existence. They have
one redacming quality, such men gen.
erly dig their own graves and if let
alono fall into them. We have no ink
nor space to waste over such insignii


cant specimens of the human race as c.


j. Short and only notice them when


their brazcn assurance leads them t.


thrust themselves in the way of human


progress. individuals arc only straws


on the tide Of The worlds advancement


and is only when they combine to block
tho current that they should DC noticed
and brushed aside.


We desire that the responsibility o
throwing obstacles in the way ola thor
ough reform in the management of ou
county business should rest where


belongs, and VIC give due notice that W
i. shall use our time and talents in tn
a exposure of every selfish attempt tha
may be mado to prevent investigation
+ aud exposure Of fraud.