Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-09-03
For ths pemocrn,le Standard.

Tor the Democfauc Standard,
Mr.. Editor: In these days it has be-
come very common for the people to in-
quire into the conduct of public officers.
In all cases where money is concerned.
we like to know how they are conducting
themselves. These hard Van Buren,
times, as the wings call them, have made
politicians of US all, so far as money may
be called in question. But l do not as
pirc so high as the expenditures of the
President, or the Secretary of the Treasu-
ry. The Clerk of the Court of Common
Pleas of Brown county will do me. If
this gentleman and his Deputy will ex-
plain to the public what has been done
with the money that has been paid into
the Clerks Office, as witnesses fees, &c.
for the period of twenty-five years past.
the people will be under obligations to
them. Many of us believe we have fees
lying in the Office, but we have neither
time nor opportunity TO search all the re-
cords of the Clerks office, 10 ascertain
how it is.
On the 18th of March, 1889, the Legis.
lature of Ohio passed law containing the
following provisions.
Sec. 2. The clerk of each court of common
-.
shall, on the first Monday of January in each and
every year hereafter, make out two certified lists
of all causes in which money may have been paid,
and whic may have remained in his hands OF tho
hands of any former clerk for period of one year
next preceding the first Monday of January, de-
signaling the amount, and in whose hands tho.
same is; one of which lists shall be by said clerk
set up in some conspicuous p ace in his Office, and
the other OH the door of the Court house, ON the
first day of the term next after the first day Of
January.
Sec. 8. All such advertised fees or costs, debts
or damages as shall remain in the hands Of the
clerk, or former clerk, at the expiration of ono
year from the first day of the term at which the
said certified list shall be set up on the door of
'he court house, shall be by the said clerk paid
over to the treasurer of the county; and any per-
son entitled to any costs or fees, debts or dam
ages so paid over, shall be entitled to an order
for the same upon the county treasury, upon the
certificates of the clerk by whom thty have been
paid over, or his successor in Office.
Sec A. For performing the services required
Of him under this act, the clerk shall be entitled
to such compensation as the court of which he
is clerk may approve.
Here is positive law requiring tho
clerk to perform certain duties. Provis-
ion is made for paying him for his ser
vices. We have looked in vain for any
such list of fees at the Clerks Office; or
at the Court house door. Why has not
this been done? IT is said that Gen. Dar-
linton, the Clerk of Adams county, has
examined the records of his Office, and
has found about three thousand dollars of
unclaimed fees in his hands. The great
er part of this sum never will be claimed,
and will go into the county treasury, to
relieve the people from their heavy taxes.
How manv thousand dollars are there in
our Clerks office, which ought TO be in
the county Treasury? Win Mr.. King in
70 rm US! AS voter and tax payer, every
man has right TO know.
Yours, &c.
TIL. L. HAMER.
Aug. %, 1910.