Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1898 — A Most Unjustifiable Attack. [ARTICLE]

A Most Unjustifiable Attack.

Zl_l “ The new Demo-popocratic paper here, the Democrat, in its anxious search to find something of which it might accuse our present honest and capable county officers, at last made what is appeared to think was a wonderful discovery. After long and unsuccessful search for something in the records in the auditor’s office that might serve as a basis of attack, it at last found something that wasn’t there. It found a place in Commissioners’ Record No. 10, where two leaves had been cut from the book. And what was more, right at this place where the leaves had been removed, were several contracts and orders regarding the new court house. Ah! ha! here was something at last! Surely, thought Shields, Babcock & Co., here was something which the commissioners desired to have concealed, so it was cut from the records. And so without asking for a word of explanation from anyone at the auditor’s office as to why the leaves came to be cut out, the Democrat proceeded to make a howl about the matter and to insinuate that the leaves were cut out to conceal some shady transaction. Well, as to how much justification there was to this fuss on the part of the Democrat, anyone can see by reading this plain, straightforward and as we know, entirely frank and truthful explanation by Auditor Murray, which we here copy from last week’s Democrat. THE. EXPLANATION. Rensselaer, Aug. 27, ’9B. Editor Democrat: Dear Sir: — In your issue of last week you made a number of allusions to the fact of two leaves, (four pages) having been removed from Commissioners’ Record in my office. I wish to make a statement of the facts in regard to this matter, which it seems to me common fairness should have prompted you to give me an opportunity of doing before such publication with accompanying insinuations of wrong. This was at the August session of the Board for the purpose of receiving the reports of township trustees. On the first day of the session the reports of seven trustees were aeted upon and recorded on pages 467, 468,'469 and 470. On the same day the Board did other business, pertaining to new court house which is recorded on pages 475 to 481 inclusive. After having made the record of settlement with the seven trustees I overlooked the action of the Board in other matters, and made adjourning order on page 471. I also made a ccpvening order for next day on the same page and proceeded to fill up the pages removed with a record of the second day’s proceeding before discovering my over-sight. The mistake had to be corrected in some way and the only way occurring to me at the moment, when I was hurried with the record work, was to remove the two leaves and make the Record just as* the facts required as though these two leaves had not been there. Of course the mistake should not have been made by me and possibly some other and more complicated course in correcting it might have been better, but the blame, whatever it may be, is mine only, the record as it is, shows the facts and all the facts. I respectfully ask that you give this statement a place in your next issue as prominent as was given the matters in your last. Respectfully Yours, Henry B. Murray, Auditor, Jasper Co. Of course, with this clear, full and unquestionable statement of the circumstances before it the only course in common fairness and decency the Democrat could have taken would have been to frankly acknowledge that no harm was done by the removal of two leaves, and to admit that it was wrong in making the attack before it investigated the circumstances. Instead of this manly course, the Democrat adds insult to the injury,