Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1892 — The Dirty Six are in a Fix [ARTICLE]

The Dirty Six are in a Fix

They Have Opened Their Mouths And as Usual Have Put Their Feet in Them. The Dirty Six, are in Ox And this is what’s about: They tied like sin, which got them in, And now they can’t lie out. That close col poiation of self convicted liars; that secret band of mid night (and Sunday afternoon) concocters of slanderous falsehoods, the Pttof Gang, have at last, under virtual compulsion, published at least a portion of the actual facts in the Fleener & Perkins matter. Even as when, by publishing the table of tax increase in this county, as sent them by the Democratic State Central Committee, they furnished conclusive evidence that they had been lying about the amount of the increase of taxes,about the purpose for which it was levied, and about the parties who were really responsible for it; so in this case, by publishing the original proposition of Fleener <fc Perkins, to examine certain of our county records for a certain purpose, they have furnished ineontestible proof of the utter falsity and maliciousness of the charges they have been making against our county officials, during the last two months, on account of tho action of the Commissioners last June, in refusing to allow the examination to proceed further. They have charged and insinuated in almost every issue since June, that Fleener & Perkins were shut out for fear they were finding something that would prove wrong-doing on the part of present or recent county officials, and yet the very terms of Fleener & Perkins original proposition, distinctly and paticnlarly stipulates that their examination shallnot include the investigation of the individual accounts of officials or ex-officials. Fleener & Perkins make a specialty of examining county books and accounts to find money due the counties from the state. They do not make general investigations of cuuuty records, and would not do so if requested. It is not in their line and they do not do it. The following is their proposition as it appears in the Commissioners’ Record for the September session of 1891, and as published last week by the Pitot'. “To the Honorable, The Board of Commissioners of Jasper County, Ind. Gentlemen: —We will examine the books, vouchers' and settlements in the various offices of the county, and ascertain whether or not there is any money due the county from the state, or from any other source, on account of any errors or omissions in settlements, and in the event we find anything due the county, we will collect the same without cost to the county, save our charges, and pay the same into the county treasury. And for our services we will charge you a sum equal to one half of all we collect for the county, payment to be made to us as fast as collections are made by us and paid into the county treasury. But be it understood that this does not include the examination of individual accounts of the officials nor ex-officials of the county, with a view to ascertaining whether or not there is anything due from them to the county. Respectfully submitted, Fleener & Pebkins. By John H. Perkins. This is the identical proposition they make to all counties to which they offer their services. The last sentence, which is in italics, and is so printed in the Pilot, is a part of all their propositions, and is conclusive evidence that the Commissioners did not stop the examination last June for fear of injurious revelations regarding .county officials or ex-officials. The attention of the Pilot Gang was called to the true character of this contract, long ago, but they persisted in ignoring that knowledge

and refusing to publish the prop- ■ osition until lest week. And now mark their further dishonesty. Being driven ro at last publish the original proposition and j its acceptance, and. thus proving; that no examinationjof the accounts > of officials or ex-officials was in I progress or in contemplation, and that all their statements to the effect that it was, were false, their next move is to try to throw upon the Commissioners the responsibility for the terms of Fleener & Perkins preposition. As before stated the proposition Of Fleener & Perkins, as re-published above from the columns of the Pilot, is the same they make to all counties, and they especially insist upon retaining the last sentence, printed above in italics; yet the Pilot Gang try to make it appear that this sentence was “inserted,” in other words put in afterwards, at the instance of our county commissioners, and in the interest of county officials or ex-officials. The insinuation iff wholly and intentionally false. Equally false is the assertion that: “Fleener & Perkins .were required to make an exhaustive examination of all books and rerords of the county, collect all moneys due the same at their own expense and remit the same to the county treasury.” They were required to do nothing of the kind. The contract shows that they were not. Their proposition to examine the books for certain specified purposes, was accepted, but instead of being “an exhaustive examination,” Fleener & Perkins expressly stipulate that it shall not be such, as witness the italic sentence at the end of in their proposition. As We stated last week, Fleener & Perkins began their examination last spring, and when the commissioners met in J une, they had knowledge that under an exactly similar contract in Newton county, Fleener & Perkins had presented a bill for S6OO, for money claimed to have been found due the county from the several townships of the county. To pay S6OO or any other sum for such a discovery as that, was money absolutely thrown away, and our county commissioners very properly entered an order forbidding any further examination of the records under the cottract as it then stood. This restraining order appears on the commissioners* public records. If the Pilot had wished to have made a fair statement of this whole matter, it would have published gthis restraining order, but this it carefully refrained from doing. Its neglect} or moiF properly refusal, for a copy of the order \was furnished them, to publish this last June order, will /be understood by reading it For in itself it fully vindicates the honesty and right intentions of the Commissioners in making it; and, at the same time, it is another conclusive proof of the utter falsity and maliciousness of the charges and insinuations the Pilot Gang have been indulging in, in regard to it. This order was made at the June session of the present year and appears in Commissioners’ Record No. 9, on page 263, and reads as follows: In the matter of the contract with Fleener & Perkins. It having come to the knowledge of the Board that the order heretofore made and recorded on page 171 of this record, was made under a misapprehension of the rights of the county, and that the said Fleener & Perkins, in other counties, have placed an interpretation, on such orders, that we are convinced that they will seek to construe said order to the disadvantage of the county, and all the townships of the county. The said order is now I rescinded and declared to be of no effect, and the said Fleener & Perkins are forbidden to proceed any further in any, pretended investigations of the accounts of said county. No fair-minded man can read this order and, considering the circumstances under which it was made, truly tny that it was not rightly, honestly and justly done. As a result of this order, as we

’ -rm stated last week, Flemer & Perkins have agreed to make no charges for any sums they may J find due from the township® to the ' county,—ami have c.-mßpqne.nfly [been permitted to proceed with ‘ the examination according to the , original contract. The order per- | mitting them so to do was entered of record, at the term of the Commissioners’ Court which ended last week, and reads as follows.: In the matter of the examination of records and accounts of the county by Fleener & Perkins; comes now said parties and agree to release the county from any claim for compensation for any adjustment of. matters as between the county qnd the several townships therein, and the Board, in consideration of such agreement now rescinds all orders heretofore made prohibiting such examination, and said parties are permitted to proceed with such' examinatron as originally contracted for.