Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1871 — Holding Public Officers to Strict Account. [ARTICLE]

Holding Public Officers to Strict Account.

Tiie Times, referring to the impeachment, conviction, and expulsion from office of Governor Butler, by the Senate of Nebraska, says: - - j “It in gratifying to know that the Senate of Nebraska had {Do courage aud honesty to pursue this rogue and depose hlui from office.” It is indeed. But we take this opportunity of reminding the Times that in this case a Republican Senate-fearlessly, justly and severely dealt with a dishonest Republican State officer, who richly deserved to be thus dealt with. It is a striking illustration of the fact that Republicans have the “ courage and honesty,” and that is a part of their political creed, to hold their representatives and officers to a strict accountability, and to punish them for violations of the public trust. Now wc ask the Chicago 'limes to cite one solitary stance in the history of Democratic rule in the nation, State, or any city, where a Democratic Legislative body or tribunal has arranged any dishonest or wrong-do-ing Democratic office-holder. It cannot cite such an instance, but thousands of cases cap be cited where the Democratic party, its press and its legislative bodies, have deliberately screened, defended or justified Democrats in office who have been notoriously guilty of malfeasance and all manner of official wrong-doing.—Chi-cago Journal. The Paris Patrie gives interesting facts in regard to tho recently demolished Vendome column. It was made with the bronze of 1,200 cannon captured from the Russians, Prussians aud Austrians. It was begun on the 25th of August, 1806, and finished in 1810, under the direction of the architects Demon, Lepere, and Ganduin. Its total weight was about 600,000 pounds. The expenses for its construction were: Melting the bronze, 154,837 francs; weighing the same, 450 francs; chiseling, 267,219 francs; the statue, by Chaudet, 18,000 francs; sculptured cornices, 89,115 francs; general designs, 11,400 francs; masons, locksmiths, carpenters and plumbers, 601,979 francs; architects, 50,000 francs; 251,867 kilogrammes of bronze, 1,005,468 francs; total 2,352,468 francs. Ure’s Dictionary of Arts, under the article on bronze, says that the founder of the column was so unskillful in melting the bronze that “ he had gone on progressively refining his alloy * * * till he ho had exhausted the copper, and ho then worked up the refuse scoria? in the upper part of the column.” American merchants have a reputation for sagaciy and acuteness, but there are few of them that can surpass, in that respoct; the gentleman of whom a good story is told in the English papers. He is a merchant in London, and lately found that a rival establishment was using his brains for its own benefit, and at the same time forestalling him in the market by obtaining copies of his telegraph orders from an operator by bribery. He at once wrote privately to his ngents always to act exactly contrary to orders, and then went to work exorcising his brains at for his own benefit and injury of the. wrong doer. He hot only got the full benefit oflns own foresight and tact, but was obtaining, a poetical revenge upon his rival, and in three months Bod him in , the Court Of Bankruptcy, while, his own concern went on prosperously.