Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 March 1902 — ABOUT THE COURT HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

ABOUT THE COURT HOUSE.

Item* of Interest Gathered In the Office* and Corridor* of the County Capitol. Marriage licenses: March 17, Frank Fenwick to Annie Worthy. Appellate Court Minutes: 4,224. Joel F. Spriggs et al vs. state ex rel board of commissioners Jasper county, Jasper C. C. Appellant’s petition for oral argument (8). The tax-ferrets have x placed nothing on the “omitted tax duplicate” since our last report, three weeks ago. Tax-Ferret Spitler is the principal man in charge of affairs here now. —o— New suits filed: No. 6302 John A. Smith vs. John L. Smith ; action to recover on note. Foltz, Spitler & Kurrie, attys. No. 6303. Augustus Reeser vs. Charles Fleming; action to quiet title. Foltz, Spitler & Kurrie, attys. —o— At the February, 1900, term of court, a short time before the clerk’s office was to be turned over to a democratic official, Judge Thompson took the bar docket out of the clerk’s hands and solicited bids for printing the same of the Republican and the Journal, not inviting The Democrat to enter the list of bidders. Last year, after calling the Judge’s attention to his oversight (?) of the previous year we were invited to put in a bid and were awarded the contract at 39 cents per page—the price the year previous was 45 cents. This year the Judge evidently didn’t want The Democrat to get another chance at it, and gave the job to the Journal at 40 cents per page, without going to the trouble to invite competition. The work during the year we bad the contract was done in a most satisfactory manner and mnch better than the previous year, and The Democrat was at least entitled to the courtesy of being allowed to put in a bid on the work. Here is a little example of the “business” methods of “Honest Abe’s” bankrupt court: The brick street improvement about the public square was accepted Oct. 18, 1901, and the contractors filed a bill for the amount due from the county, $5,954.25. This claim has been continued by Abe and his ; cohorts from term to term since that time. The county council was not asked to make an appropriation to cover the coat of this improvement at its regular meeting in September nor was it called in special session until this month, when, in making various other appropriations, the sum of $6,300 was asked for and granted for this purpose—s34s.7s more than it would have taken to have paid the claim Nov. 1, as the contractors are entitled to interest on the amount from the date the improvement was accepted. Even then Abe continues the claim again, and it cannot possibly be allowed now until April 7. The commissioners met for the March term on Monday, the 3rd, and were in session several days. The county council met Tuesday, the 4th, and made the appropriation. Even though they had dilly-dallied along with the matter for months and refused to call the counc 1 together to make the appropriation, there was not the slightest excuse for again continuing it another month and putting the county to an expense of about $35 more for interest on the claim. The claim has got to be paid and the money to pay it has been lying in the county treasury all these months, drawing not one penny of interest for the county. Over a year has passed and gone since the “tax-ferrets” last begun work in this county. During this time a few thousand dollars has been placed on the “omitted tax-duplicate,” and the name of each man, who has been “caught” by these “sleuths” has been published in The Democrat. We ask our readers who have followed this matter closely, how many of the people “caught” were, in their opinion, intentional taxdodgers? Under the terms of the contract with these “ferrets” they

receive one-half of all the money collected, and, as only about onefourth of the money collected belongs to Jasper county proper, Jasper county is out about 25 cents on every dollar collected by this plan, and scarcely a one of the generally believed-to-be professional tax-dodgers have as yet been caught for a penny. In fact, nearly all of the money found owing has been from the best and most respected citizens of the county. It is a notorious fact that not a person high up in the councils of the dominant political party has been called upon to contribute a dollar to this “cause.” For over a year the tax-payers of Jasper county have furnished rooms in the court house, for the “tax-ferrets.” They have also paid the expense of the heating and lighting of these looms during this time—and considerable of the “ferreting” has been done at night—in addition to going down into their pockets for the extra 25 cents which the county is out on each dollar collected. In addition to this, the county assessor has been called on to assist them in their work, and for his services the tax-payers have had additional expense to bear. For months past little if anything has apparently been done, the “ferrets” busying themselves in work from other counties which they have brought here for checking up because “Honest Abe” furnishes them comfortable quarters, free rent and free heat and light II is time that this dilly-dallying was stopped. If the “ferrets” have anything more to “discover” in Jasper county, let them discover it and get out. If not, let them get out anyway. Jasper county tax-payers have furnished them free quarters long enough.