Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 253, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 October 1910 — BRIDGE EXTENSION IS 140 FEET IN LENGTH. [ARTICLE]

BRIDGE EXTENSION IS 140 FEET IN LENGTH.

Republican Answers All Questions Asked by Newspaper Which Seeks To Libel Commissioners. _ '' * The Jasper County Democrat would go a long ways to defeat John Pettit for county commissioner. It would go a long ways to make the taxpayers of Jasper county believe that the present board of commissioners and every republican official was dishonest and was scheming to defraud the people by systematic means of deceit. This Is ho new plan fßr the Jasper County Democrat. It has followed these tactics for years and has grown hold and has no hesitation in making misrepresentations or even employing means usually spoken of by harsher terms to accomplish the end sought. In its issue of Oct. 19th the Democart contained the following: Now we have just a few questions to ask the Republican about the last previous improvement to the Burk bridge, made five years ago: 1. Was the extension build 140 feet long, as required, or did the taxpayers pay j for 140 feet and only 110 feet? Answer—Yes, the bridge was built 140 feet long. The extension stands today just as It did when accepted and It was 140 feet long. It was measured this Monday morning by the writer and there is 140 feet of bridge and a 6-foot approach in addition. 2. While the Pan American Bridge Co. appear of record as the contractors for said extension, was it S. E. Luce or one of the 'county commissioners the real contractor? Answer—The Pan American Bridge Co., of New Castle, was the contractor. S. E. Luce was the subcontractor. Ho was also employed by Chas. F. Stackhouse, democratic trustee of Marion township, to build other bridges In this township, and had a perfect rightto be either ’'contractor or subcontractor. He was not a county commissioner and no county commissioner had anything to do with the contract. 3. Who was it that contracted for the planking and piling furnished and did the contractors really drive thh 632 feet of extra piling for which they were paid 60 cents per foot. Answer—The Pan American Bridge Co., of New Castle, Is the only contractor of record, it is said that S. E. Luce, the subcontractor, purchased the piling of D. H. Yeoman, whi bought .it of Alex. Hurley. Both Mr. Yeoman- and Mr. Hurley are democrats. Mr. Hurley said that, he had no record of the amount of piling he supplied, but he knows some o' it was 20 feet in length and that he believes some of the piling was set. on top of other piling. He paid little attention to that feature and It was five years ago. The contract called for piling 14 feet in length, but if greater length was needed up to 35 feet, it was to be supplied at 60 cents per lineal foot. We have no means of telling whether the piling as charged was driven or not, but if the same person informed Babcock that it was not driven that informed him that the bridge was only 110 feet long, It is certain his Information was false. 4. The contractors were to be paid 60 cents per foot for piling driven beyond a depth of 35 feet, we understand, and if the piling was none of it really driven more than 9 feet, why were they allowed $319 for ®ictra piling? Answer—Babcock does not understand right. The contract is at the auditor’s office. It provides that the piling is to be only 14 feet long and that the extra pay is for piling longer than that, but that it can not be longer than 35 feet. This question constitutes a virtual lie. It is false because the inquisitor did not inform himself. He wanted to misrepresent it and he did not want the truth. 5. Who really received the $1,479 which the “140 foot” extension cost the taxpayers of Jasper county? Answer—The order was drawn in favor of the Pan American Bridge Co., the contractors. 8. E. Luce, the subcontractor, D. H. Yeoman and Alex. Hurley doubtless got paid for what, they done, just the same as the money for the stationery furnished Jasper county is supposed to be paid to F. E, Babcock, the contractor. This question should be included in the big list of foolish questions promulgated by foolish people. 6. As it is an easy matter to determine whether the county got the 140 foot extension paid for, instead of but 110 feet, as alleged, will the Republican editors not go out to the bridge and measure the extension and then tell their readers the true length of tfie same ? Answer—The writer has done this. The extension is 140 feet, as contracted for. Will the editor of tho Democrat have the simple honesty to measure the extension and tell the truth to its readers, or Is it so opposed to the truth and so bent on injuring the commissioners and of making the taxpayers believe a falsehood that It will not tell the truth? Will the editor of the Democrat accompany the writer and men of reliability, democrats or republicans, to the bridge and measure this extension and then tell the truth to its readers? Here is a chance to be hdnest. Will F. E. Babcock accept it? 7. If the county paid for 140 feet extension and got but 110 feet, did the reduction benefit the contractor or the

county, and did it cheapen or enhance the real cost of the work of the contractor? Answer—Another foolish question. .Any fool knows that 110 feet of bridge can be built for less than 140 feet, the material being the same. 'But the bridge extension was all built five years ago and it is all there today. It can be seen by any person that visits the bridge and has a tape measure. The Republican has answered these questions honestly as asked to do so by the Democrat. Now, will the Democrat be honest and correct the libel it has undertaken to place against the commissioners? Does the Democrat know that Chas. F. Stackhouse was the trustee of Marion township at that time and does it know that he was dbting as superintendent of the extension? Does the Democrat wish to have its readers and the taxpayers think that Mr. Stackhouse is a man of such little ability that he would permit the towiiship to be.defrauded put of 30 feet of bridge? The Democrat has made a great bluff about this extension. people will be anxious to see how it lies out of its lies. Other questions asked by the Democrat of the Republican will also be answered frankly and honestly. Will the Democrat ask its questions as honestly as the Republican answers them?