Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1899 — THAT “VINDICATION.” [ARTICLE]

THAT “VINDICATION.”

About the thinnest, wishy-washy article we have seen lately is the so-called “Complete Vindication” editoral in the Journal, from the pen of the same individual who attempted to show daring the last campaign that Jasper county was the most economically governed county in the state, notwithstanding the state reports showed the reverse to be true. So flimsy is this long-winded argument (?) that we feel like apologizing to our readers for noticing it at all, but we will insert a few pins into it that all may see the wind escape and the writer of the “vindication” given a few pointers which he neglected to mention in his article. Summed up to its logical conclusion the article seeks to make it appear that with all the care exercised by the county council they were “worked” into making the appropriations for the calender year 1900 a few thousand dollars greater than were the actual expenses for the fiscal year ending May 31, 1899, notwitstanding the estimates which the council had for a guide in making the appropriations were sworn to by each county officer, that the amounts fixed in said estimates would be required for his respective office for the year 1900, and that said estimates were prepared by officials who, with one exception, had held such office from two to eight years, and would be supposed to know more about the actual amount of money required than outsiders. These estimates were “cut” nearly $20,000, and yet the “vindication” was complete! He says they appropriated $765 for commissioner’s court (in 1898 it cost $2,215.50) SIOO of which is expenses, such as hiring livery rigs to go up to view the Keener tp., gravel roads, and that last year the cost was but loSOr* The writer neglects to add, however, that the last three months of the last fiscal year the commissioners were under the new salary law and that this particular quarter’s salary was not drawn until this fiscal year, nor was their per diem from January last. They found it necessary, says this writer, to appropriate $2,173.86 for books and stationery (in 1898 it cost $2,882.08) while last year it cost but $1,330.91, but neglects to ndd that bills were carried over from the last fiscal year amounting to about one thousand dollars, and that since June 1, 1889, over S7OO has been paid for books and stationery, and that claims for as much or more are now entered as “continued” on the docket.

He also says they appropriated $250 for a county attorney, when last year but $90.70 was expended for this purpose. Well, the commissioners said that an attorney was needed and asked for $350 for this purpose. The council cut it to $250, and if no attorney is needed it lies with the commissioners themselves ns to whether this sum is expended or not, But it was represented that the county was now defendant in several lawsuits, and an appropriation to pay attorneys was needed. The same may be said of the ditch printing, benevolent and penal institutions, poor farm, circuit court, assessing, burial of soldiers, etc., etc., and all other appropriations. The.„«fticers need not expend all the appropriations, nor are they expected to, unless absolutely required, and several thousand dollars will, no doubt, remain in some of the funds at the end of the year. To sum up the whole matter the article simply shows the truth of that old saying about “figures won’t lie but liars will figure,” and, if the appropriations made are too large, it should be remembered that the county officials themselves made solemn oath that in their judgment it would require about $20,000 more to carry on the machinery of the county than the council appropriated, and if the council erred in placing so much confidence in the oaths of the “vindicated” officials as to only cut their estimate about onethird, they should not be criticised too harshly. Perhaps another year they will not be so easily hood-winked by the solemn oaths of county officials, as this writer would have you believe they were in passing on the appropriations made this year.