Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 306, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1912 — WHAT COMMISSIONER DENHAM REALLY SAID [ARTICLE]

WHAT COMMISSIONER DENHAM REALLY SAID

When Members of Charity Board Called on Commissioners and Talked About Nichols. The Democrat js trying hard to discredit Commissioner Denham, and the effort is quite certain to result in dismal failure. Mr. Denham has served long and honorably as a commissioner and he has proven himself entirely too wise }n his understanding of people to permit himself to be dragged into the action so heartily sought by the two democratic commissioners, that of removing Jesse Nichols as superintendent of the county farm on the iiimsy charges made by a few of the inmates of the county farqL The Democrat charges that Mr. Denham talked against Mr. Nichols in the presence of the two democratic commissioners and two members of the charity board and one of the latter called the writer of this article by phone and said that Mr. Denham had so expressed himself. Mr. Denham, without solicitation* told what he said when the members of the charity hoard called on the commissioners to make their coAplaint. He said that they reported charges that the inmates had made and asked him what should he done if they were true.- He said, “If 1 THEY ARE TRUE he should he removed.” He said further that after the board of charities had made a report entirely favorable to the superintendent in writing, he was not in favor of listening to what they might say orally to try to influence the commissioners. He said that no charges were made that were serious and that he at no time thought that the commissioners had any grounds to work upon unless the board of charities made a report in writing preferring charges against the superintendent. Re said that his statement about the merit of removing him hinged on the truth of the charges which were orally made and which he did not believe. Mr. Denham is ,not a man who minces matters ip the least. He is open and above-board and is just closing an honorable service as county commissioner with a record of good business management that will commend itself to all who are fair. He realizes that the management of the unfortunates at the county farm is a trying position and that it requires careful diplomacy and occasional disciplining methods. He knows that Mr. Nichols has performed his task splendidly as well as being a big success in the business management of the farm. Mr: Denham retires January Ist as a member of the board of commissioners and the effort to discredit him in a matter so flimsy is contemptible. He was right in taking the position that the board had nothing to act upon but the written reports of the board of charities and the grand jury and we believe that about every person will agree that if any members of the board of charities held views contrary to the written and signed report they should have refused to sign the report and tendered a minority report expressing themselves freely. The Republican will gladly publish any report or charges that these members care to make, but we will not make Mr. Denham a further party to the discussion. His action has not altered the situation as regards Mr. Nichols-’ and it is the duty of the charities hoard and the commissioners if they were sincere in their demand for his resignation that they proceed on the lines suggested in the demand for his resignation. Mr. Nichols courts the widest investigation. He does not intend to resign. He has the consciousness of having rendered his best service to the county and of having always treated all inmates with kindness and exercised over them the control that he believed was necessary to the best interests of all the inmates.