Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 302, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1912 — Misrepresented Position Of Commissioner Denham. [ARTICLE]

Misrepresented Position Of Commissioner Denham.

County Commissioner Charles T. Denham, of Remington, was a Rensselaer visitor today to attend the special session of the commissioners to close up ,the business of the year. He was asked about the action of the boarij in the matter of the request for the resignation of Superintendent Nichols at the county farm, and the discussion of the matter by Rensselaer newspapers. He said, “I see in The Jasper County Democrat that I have been outspoken against Nichols. This is not so. I have had nothing to do with the proceeding seeking to remove him and have not said anything against his management of the county farm. There is no authority to quote me as being against him and I plainly said to the other commissioners, Messrs. Stackhouse and Hershman, that there was nothing to base any opposition to him upon. .1 said if there were any members of the board of charities who wanted Mr. Nichols discharged they should file charges in writing and give the board authority for investigation. Their report is entirely favorable, making a Suggestion for increased help and nothing else. I was asked to join with the other members of the board in the proceedings but refused to do so.” This, in substance, was Mr. Denham’s statement made in the presence of two other men. He said more than that to refute the. entirely false statement mfcde by The Democrat to the effect that he was “outspoken” against Nichols. He said that he thought Kelley, the inmate who was active against Nichols, was a trouble maker and, that if he was the superintendent he would either make him behave or make him leave. He spoke of an occasion when he had visited the farm and one inmate called him aside and took out of his pocket a piece of meat, saying, “This is a sample of the kind of meat they give us.” Mn Denham examined it and found it to be the very center of a slice of ham and the choicest piece of meat that could be selected. This goes to prove that nothing that could be done would meet the unanimous approval of- the unfortunates who are at the farm. Mr. .Denham said that Mrs. Nichols, the matron, was a woman of rare tact and ability and that from all that had been reported to him, either in the official reports or otherwise, he did not see reason for removal of Mr. Nichols. This should be sufficient to prove conclusively that the action is a political one and just as The Re publican reported it.