Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1899 — Common Council Meeting. [ARTICLE]

Common Council Meeting.

The anti-Quays won out in Pennsylvania, and the legislature adjourned Wednesday without electing a U. S. Senator. The commissioners of Boone county are under investigation by the grand jury to see whether or no they accepted boodle to make an order for a new court house.— Fowler Leader. The first complete copies of the new laws were sent out Monday. All the counties will be supplied in a few days and then the governor will issue his proclamation declaring them in force. - John E. Alter, ex-surveyor, having admitted under oath that he is in possession of $2.50 of Jasper county’s money, the question arises, when is he going to return this money to its owner? The enthusiastic reception tendered William J. Bryan in the east is gall and wormwood to those Slid bugs who hoped to side-track ryan in 1900 and keep the silver question in the background. It is the sentiment of one of our esteemed contemporaries that “Hereafter the Maine is to be remembered more in sorrow than in anger.” This will depend very much upon whether the taste of the mucilage upon the adhesive stamps required in remembrance of the Maine is palatable. The Maine is likely to be remembered both in sorrow and in anger as long as stamp taxes hold sway.— Chicago Chronicle. , On Jan. 24, 1899, the county commissioners met in special session for the sole purpose, apparently as shown by record, to direct the court house janitor to see the electric light committee of the city council and have the current turned off from the court house tower at 12 o'clock, midnight, and thus save the expense of light when same was not needed. No entry of record shows the result of the janitor’s interview. The current is “still on” all night long, although this special session for shutting it off cost the taxpayers $10.50 and the order was made three months ago. A dispatch from Grefenfield says: ■‘The county commissioners of this coutity have employed parties to make a thorough investigation of the books of county officers. The investigation will date back to Nov. 1,1890, in the records of the circuit court, and from the taking effect of the new fee and salary law, July 1, 1895, of the books in the offices of the auditor, sheriff, recorder and treasurer. The purpose is to ascertain whether all money received in fees during the terms of the several county officers were properly taken, collected and reported by law, as required of officers. The grand jury, which adjourned a few days ago, returned several hundred indictments against county officers for obtaining illegal allowances under the new law. No doubt many illegal •acts will be brought out in the search.” Every taxpayer in the county who is interested in reform in the management of township and county business should lend his assistance in seeing, that good competent men are appointed on the township advisory and county council boards. Judge Thompson wishes to appoint the best of timber on these boards, to give the new laws a fair trial, and he should have the assistance of all good citizens in this commendable action. The people should talk the matter over among themselves and select the names of two or three good intelligent men for each position and then hand their ’ names in to the Judge with their choice,and request that heappoint either of them, as his own judgment may dictate. In this way officers will be appointed who aie acceptable to the people of their respective communities, and in

, - ■[ r marabsl'ofoUkfieH, arrested on grand jury indictments charged with bribery. The indictments charge that Boring and Clark offered Prosecutor Wiggins $250 bn March 15 to re-, frain from investigation of the auditor’s office and the books of other county officers and excounty officers of Hancock county, and cause the grand jury to be discharged without returning any indictments against county officers. The second indictment alleges that the prosecutor received SSO from Boring and Clark for the purpose of causing him to refrain from investigating. What is needed in Jasper county is a taxpayers’ league, a body of men selected from the ranks of all parties represented in the county, who are taxpayers and who take an interest in the management of county affairs, to see that the laws relating to county and township business are enforced. There is nouse of making laws for the protection of the taxpayers unless such laws are enforced. It is the duty of the public officials as well as individuals to obey the law as it is written, and it is also the duty of every good citizen to see that the laws are obeyed, but it is a difficult thing to find individuals with sufficient backbone to enter complaint even when they know of infractions of the law and that they are themselves being robbed either directly or indirectly by the lawbreaker, for fear of incurring his enmity. Such things should not be. But as they do exist, we would suggest to the taxpayers of Jasper county that they take steps to organize a taxpayers’ league, with every township and corporation in the county represented. Let officers be selected and committees be appointed whose duties it shall be to post themselves on the laws relating to the management of township, county and municipality. and rigidly prosecute every public officer who wilfully disregards the statutes in conducting the affairs of his office. If this were done thousands of dollars would be saved to the people each year and our taxes would soon drop to a level with those of neighboring counties.

At the meetin z of the city council Wednesday night to hear remonstrants on the proposed street improvements, it was shown that insufficient notice had been given, and the notices of intention were ordered to be again published. Councilman Eger made a motion to lay over the advertising of one or two of the proposed improvements, as the remonstrators had enough and to spare on their remonstrants to defeat the same, and thus save the expense of re-adver-tising that particular part. But his colleagues wouldn’t listen to any proposition intended to save a few dollars to the city, and no second was made to the motion. In the proposed improvement of the three streets about the court house square, the commissioners have signified their intention to fight the improvement. Were this work to go through it would cost the county something like $3,000 to $4,000, and might cost, judging from previous contracts, SIO,OOO or $15,000, with a law suit or two in the way of extras.