Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1877 — RENSSELAER CORPORATION AFFAIRS. [ARTICLE]

RENSSELAER CORPORATION AFFAIRS.

Ouiwidcrable iuterwt it mtnifettod in ihe corporation election of next Monday, becaoae of the fact that for the drat time ainoe the town area incorporated, some sixteen or seventeen yeara, the oonteat will take on apolitical tinge. Heretofore thia feeling has been guarded against, bat the democrats finding themselves with a majority ot the board of trustees elected last spring unmasked their tactics, boasted of their victory, made their appointed officers entirely from among democrats, increased the tax levy, and projected a system of improvement* that ie unprecedented in cost and entirely too extravagant for these times of financial depression, and which was not demanded either by eonvenienoe or necessity. At the foot of Front street where it intersects an old county road and one of the streets of Newton or Clark’s addition, is a bridge or culvert that stands a monument to mark democratic extravagance and folly. A etuoture was there made at a cost ot several hundred dollars over a ditch that is perhaps five feet deep and ten or twelve feet wide. For forty years the aggregate expense of keeping this crossing in good enough condition- for the safety of pll the travel there was over it probably did not exceed one-fifth pr one-third the money that was pt)4 for this structure. Populous cities like Chicago or Indian apolia, whose streets are crowded with ever-passing streams of street cars, heavily-loaded drays, express wagons, other vehicles and throngs of hurrying pedestrians may need such massive pad expensive works, but not a little village nor the traffio of a oountry highway. Money enough was squandered on that culvert alone, not to mpption that which was pud for the right of way where attests had been lawfully established before the present hoard was elected, to have built two other bridges of the dimensions required by public necessity at that place. Not only this, not only has money been wasted here, bat the work itself i« badly designed and threatens to be the cause of serious trouble and constant expense, for it is so built as to direct the force ot the current of water which flows in the ditch at flood times against she north aide, rapidly wearing away the bank and constantly encroach iug upon the streit that lies along above it. Before the lapse of very much time, perhaps within a year, it will be necessary to paliaade or box against this rapid /erosion —indeed this ought to be done without delay—adding still to the costs of this already too expensive structure. Under ordinary conditions it would be like child’s play to bring the Corporation eieetions of smaller towns within the strict limits of party lines, but this is an exceptional owe. The democrats have made political profession the test in appointments and for favors; they have boasted of a victory that was stolen; they have increased the raps of taxation unneoessarily; they have squandered the public money pn works made needlessly expensive that threaten to be a constant am} increasing bill of expense; they have neglected to hold their meeting* pn regular nights, as provided by an ordinance, to the prejudice, inconvenience and detriment of those having business to transact with them iu their official capacity! j.hey mage no promises to reform she evils or lighten the burdens Complained of, hut with ttue dempcratic perversity propose to elect phe same controlling men again, enforce the same policy, and boast of 9 democratic victory. It would be ju well for tax-payers, perhaps, if fhey would paraphrase the formula /.hat report said GovernorWillijups juadp frequent use of last year jyhep .traveling wilji Jjf. Voorkees, pt the close of his harangues; .Yqn will now give way tor more abler pen. At least we ought to htvea board of trustee* that will tp4s *biwdens of taxation a. light *• while wug« «« only <?ne dollar a day gndpr the road la V able bodied men, and the price of i fam'M and no credit uor discount for cash.