"The following was the rate of taxation in 1856: This levy was regarded at the time as very burdensome; it doubtless will seem to have been very light in modern times, when people are paying their three to four per cent tax. The resources of the county at that time may be estimated from the following table: No. of mules and asses over one year old.... No. of sheep six months old... $ 5,910 $ 640$ 18,502 $ 15,405 2,606'$ 3,498 Value of gold and silver coin and bank notes...$ We now come to the statement of the financial condition of the county in modern times, and in doing so will produce the statistics for the years 1867, 1877 and 1879; we will also give some statistics from the neighboring counties of Warren and Boone for the year 1879: 1867. Statement of accounts in General Fund with amount of warrants issued The amount of revenue collected during the year, with a statement for what fund collected, was as follows: Exhibit of general and special tax levies. ... .... .... For State tax on the county valuation ... .... For special road tax on valuation of Madison tw'p. ... For special road tax on valuation of Douglas tw'p 4 66 ... .. For State tax on the county valuation .... ... Revenues collected. State fund State insane hospital fund County insane fund. $ 24,708.97 2,015.17 6,412.06 .... Bridge fund 29,687.51 Pauper fund.... 14,369.10 County fund... Road fund School fund District school fund.. Bond fund .... 80,312.64 7,478.56 24,147.43 124,320.31 6,015.91 The county expenses in Boone county for the year 1879 amounted to $46,051.28, while in Polk county the ordinary county expenses amounted to $76,110.02; of this amount the sum of $39,064.21 was for court expenses alone. The county expenses in Warren county for the year 1879 amounted to the sum of $41,158.10; of this amount the sum of 12,390.34 was for court expenses. This item was much larger for the year 1878 than usual, on account of a very expensive murder trial, in which nearly half of a township was more or less concerned. No better evidence of the prosperity of Polk county could be adduced than the fact that the people are able to bear the burdensome taxation to which they are subjected. POLITICAL. In early days the people of Polk county did not trouble themselves much about political matters. They seemed to care more about the settlement of the country and the increase of worldly goods than office. One reason of this doubtless was, that the pay was nothing extraordinary. The trouble in those days was to get men to take the office. Now, however, the trouble is to keep dishonest men and incompetent men out of office. For several years after the organization of the county, persons were elected to office more on account of their qualifications and popularity, than for political reasons. In those days the office emphatically sought the man, and not the man the office. We find in several instances when the opposing candidates belonged to the same party, and sometimes when the county was entitled to two Representative to the Legislature, a division was made, and a Democrat and a Whig were elected. The foregoing is true of political parties in the first settlement of all Iowa counties, and Polk was no exception to the rule, except in that party issues were raised and partizan lines were drawn earlier than in most other counties of Central Iowa. Fort Des Moines was early regarded by the political leaders of the State as a very important point, which was in the near future to exercise great political influence. From this reason an effort was made in very early time by the leaders of the two dominant political parties, the Whig and the Democratic, to gain ascendency in Polk county, and with this end in view they used their influence to persuade the more talented and ambitious young politicians to locate in Des Moines. It has already been stated that Barlow Granger was induced to establish a Democratic paper in Des Moines in 1849, by Curtis Bates, the leading politician of the State at that time; he was looking forward to future promotion, and he not only desired Polk county to remain Democratic, but he felt the necessity of controlling the party in his interests. Until 1850, and even for several years afterward, Polk county was reliably Democratic, the majorities, however, were not sufficiently decisive to make a hasty nomination always equivalent to an election. Many a hard fought political battle was waged prior to 1850, and sometimes when the Whigs had a very popular candidate they elected their man. Among the veterans of those fierce campaigns some of the more prominent ones still remain; the Shermans were Whigs, and upon the formation of the Republican party they identified themselves with the new organization, and are still regarded as among the most prominent leaders of that party. Granger, Casady and Tidrick, were the organizers of the Democratic party in Polk county; the old ship carried them into good position during the days of prosperity, and during the last twenty years of clouds and storms they have clung to the craft with a pious devotion, and now on the eve of a great national conflict between the antagonistic political elements, they are, as it were, standing on the foremost front of the prow, confidently and hopefully expecting the dawn of better days. There is scarcely anything to be found in the county records from which to determine, at this late day, the exact condition of political affairs, but enough is known that in 1848 and 1849 there were heated contests, and the Democrats came off victorious. |