Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1899 — WANT AN INVESTIGATION. [ARTICLE]

WANT AN INVESTIGATION.

A Petition Signed By nearly 1,000 Voters and Taxpayers Presented to the County Commissioners Asking tor an Investigation of the County Records. A petition signed by neary 1,000 taxpayers and voters of Jasper county, asking that an investigation of the county records be made, was presented to the county commissioners on Wednesday afternoon. The petition represented only a partial canvass of the county, it being very difficult to get about all over the county, but wherever circulated it was signed by nearly every taxpayer to whom presented, regardless of politics, and many of the stanchest republicans in the county enrolled their names thereon. Most all of the petitioners are land owners, some owning more than 1,000 acres in the county, and it can be truthfully said that the petition is a representative expression of the taxpayers of Jasper county.

Just what action will be taken by the commissioners remains to be seen, but it does not seem possible that a petition of this kind could be ignored. Here is an opportunity to set at rest all the rumors of mismanagement of county affairs, and, if everything is straight, as has been repeatedly stated by defenders of our county administration, to fully exonerate every county officer from the taking effect of the Indiana fee and salary law down to the present time. If matters are not “straight,” the taxpayers have a right to know it, and no one having the best interests of the county at heart can have any valid reasons for objecting to an investigation. The Democrat has opened up and uncovered enough mismanagement and rottenness in Jasper county during the past year to show every fair minded man that an investigation is needed, and the county commissioners as servants of the people cannot conscientiously ignore the prayer of this petition. Following is the prayer of the petition:

Tom Honorabu ßoard or Commissioners of Jasper County, State of Indiana: We, the undersigned, all being voters and taxpayers of the aforesaid County and State, do respectfully petition your honorable body to employ two competent expert accountants, one each of whom shall represent the two leading political parties of the aforesaid county, and who shall be acceptable to the Chairmen of the Republican and Democratic County Central Committees respectively, to make a thorough examination of the County Records and Accounts of the various County Offioers of aforesaid County, to-wit: Commencing at the time of the taking effect of the Indiana Fee and Salary Law and extending down to the time of making the investigation. We further pray your honorable body to instruct the County Auditor to call the County Council together in special session to make an appropriation for.Ahe purpose of defraying the expense of such investigation, and we your petitioners wiU ever pray.