Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1910 — HOW THE DEMOCRAT HAS GRAFTED. [ARTICLE]

HOW THE DEMOCRAT HAS GRAFTED.

The Republican concludes a' lengthy tirade against The Democrat man and says “the records at the court house show that Babcock was a real grafter.” This, while a grave charge, is very indefinite, and the Republican should point out where this record can be found. It should also publish it. If the records prove this to be true the public has a right to know it. We challenge the Republican to publish the proof. We have been called almost everything and anything but an honest man by the Republican, and no doubt it will even charge that we are the kidnapper of Charley Ross and the man who murdered millionaire Snell before it is done. However, there are financial reasons for, the Republican’s many malicious statements about The Democrat man, and they are matters of public record, too. We, want the taxpayers to investigate the truth of the statements we are going to;make and see how much they have been “grafted” by The Democrat. Take, for example, the county, stationery contract, the class bid upon by the local printers. In 1899, when the present law went into effect, the contract went to our opponents at $395.20. We maae no bid, feeling that we would stafid no show with the board. (See Commissioners’ Record 11, page 340). This price was so outrageously high that the next y«s.r. we decided to put Itt-ya hid (see same record, page 524) at a fair price. Our bid was $126, but it was let to our competitor at $102.80, or $292.40 less than the year before, while there was not ten dollars difference in the amount of stationery required in the requisitions. We did not offer to do the work for nothing but we did propose to do it at as reasonable prices we charged private individuals. We have bid frequently since that time, and have only secured the contract twice, but we have kept the price down to a-reason-able figure, to the great benefit of the taxpayers. Some years ago the bonds issued for ditch, road and other purposes in this county were printed by our and for a set of ten bonds they charged and were paid S4O, or four dollars for each bond. The price was four times what it was worth, and finally, a few years ago we asked the auditor for permission to submit him a price for this work. He consented ana also got bids from others. Our price was lowest for the same identical style of bond that was being used, and since that time The Democrat has printed practically every set of bonds issued for improvements in Jasper county, and to-day, instead of paying S4O for ten bonds the county pays but $7,50, and 25 cents on each additional bond, a saving on ten bonds of $32.50, and $3.75 on each individual bond over ten!

We printed bonds for the Marion and Carpenter stone roads, the Iroquois ditch; —each of which was about 150 or more in number —and for a great many smaller improvements. Perhaps the total number would reach nearly a thousand altogether, and we have received therefor less than $250, while at the price charged before The Democrat stepped in with its “graft” they would have cost the taxpayers about $4,000! These prices are a matter of record and the circumstances recited will be verified by Auditor Leathermafi. Do you wonder at the attacks of the Republican on The Democrat and its editor? Can you figure out, Mr. Taxpayer, just where you have lost anything by The Democrat’s “grafting?” Or was it our competitors who lost, hence their howl?