Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1901 — Not Posted on the Law. [ARTICLE]

Not Posted on the Law.

Regarding the law passed by the last legislature regulating the publication of township trustees reports, which is causing many of the inland newspapers to rail at the “party papers,” we think our esteemed brethren of the outside towns do not thoroughly understand the law or they would not cuss the county seat papers so much for having it passed (V). They may cuss the legislature to their heart’s content, and we think as representatives of the people the cussing is justified, but so far as the democratic and republican county seat organs are concerned the censure is wholly undeserved. We think that we can convince these erring brothers of this in a very few words: I'ndet the old law the trustee was required to publish an itemized report of receipts and expenditures, for the proceeding year, amount of outstanding warrants, ttc., in ONE newspaper of general circulation published in the county. These reports at the cut rate made in this county used to run from flO to 188 each This, understand, was for an ITEMIZED statement showing all receipts and where every dollar had been expended, also the balances in each fund and outstanding warrants, if any. It was a good measure and well repaid the taxpayers for the small outlay for the publication. I’mler that law the county seat papers usually published all reports except in townships where a newspaper was published, which we believe was right. as the leading party papers at the county seat almost invariably have a larger circulation in every township in the county, outside the township having a local paper of its own. than does the aforesaid local paper. I 'nder the new law the trustee is required to publish an abstract so his riqiort in each of tin* two leading papers published at the county seat representing the two leading political parties. This report must show the total of receipts and total of expenditures in each of the various funds, and balances remaining in such funds. That is all. It conveys no real information to the taxpayers whatever. It simply shows that John Bmith, trustee of Hoop-pole township received |2,(XX) in the township fund during the year and paid out SIBOO, leaving a balance in said fund of S2OO, and so on through the various funds. The cost of publishing this summary

or abstract will probably reach the enormous sum of $4 or $6 for each township Not a very big “grab” for the county seat papers, is it? Under the old law, as an example, The Democrat would have got five of the six trustees reports to publish in this county (one democratic township having a paper) and would have received ! probably S6O for publishing them all; under the new law, if it publishes all of the thirteen reports it will probably not amount to over SSO. The new law cuts oil" the inland papers entirely from this ‘‘grab.” Of course, the publication as now to be made contains no information of benefit to anyone, and the s? 4 to $6 per township which it costs is practically thrown away, while the old law required an ITEMIZED report and did amount to something. < )ur brethren of the inland press should place the blame for the enactment of this obnoxious measure upon the trustees’ organization, which fought the old law so bitterly, and not upon county seat publishers, as it is plainly apparent that the law cuts the latter off of at least one half the amount they received under the old law, which I did not bar any newspaper of general circulation in the county.