Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1899 — Page 4 Advertisements Column 2 [ADVERTISEMENT]

At the regular August, 1699, term of commissioners’ court of Jasper county, in commissioners’ docket No. 8, we find the following entry: “Claim No. 8200. W, B. Burford, book* and stationery, 2608.25. A tig. term, 4th day allowat $95.75. Abraham Halleck, P. B'd.” In record 11, page 289, third item from bottom of page, is the following: “No. 8206, claim of Wm. B. Burford for *606.25 for books and stationery, is allowed at $05,75," These two items are of more than passing interest to the taxpayers of J asper country. Trace back this claim and it will be found that it is the same old claim filed at the Dec. 1898, term, but then the amount was given at $615, and an inspection of the original bills filed also discloses the fact that the supplies which these bills cover were furnished during the summer of 1898, at a time when a contract was in force with Wilson, Humprheys & Co., by which the latter were to furnish ALL supples of this nature for one year at a given sum —$I,4so—and for which they were paid in full. The denials of the ringsters and' their mouth-pieces—especially the Apologist—of our statements of this matter during the campaign last fall is too well known to require repetition, but what we desire to call the attention of the reader to now is this: The claim above mentioned was continued from term to term, shrinking thereby $6.75, until August last, when the whole $608.25 —figures then given—was allowed at $95.75 — a cut of $513.50! Why was this tremendous reduction made? The bills appear all straight and if Mr. Burford furnished the supplies as given in the bills he should have been paid every penny, and that, too, without waiting a year for it. The records also show that a number of other of Burford’s bills have been cut and some dismissed altogether. Has Mr. Burford been trying to “hold up” the county for outrageously “padded” bills, aud if so, who has he stood , in with here in the attempt to get j these bills allowed?

No man having honest claims against the county would submit to any such “cut” as that shown above, and Mr. Burford owes it to himself and the taxpayers of the counties in which he furnishes supplies to explain this matter. Stand up, Mr. Burford, let’s hear from you.