The American patriot., 1855-08-25
" To the Public"

there appeared an article headed "Know-
Nothing Economy" which purported to give
"a statement of facts to the tax payers of East
Feliciana; but how widely the writer of the
article differs FROM the facts we leave the pub
lie to Judge.
We did not intend noticing the publication !;
but as more Importance appears to attach it.
self to the article in question than we deemed
it worthy of at first we now beg leave to state
the facts as they occurred.
1t is true that on examination of the accounts
OF the Parish Treasurer, it was found that ow-
ing to extensive repairs on the court house.
recovering With slate, &C., (and to which ex-
pense there was not dissenting voice in the
Police Jury,) the treasury was short $ll 66
which Mr.. Delee advanced from his private
funds, and this is what the writer in the Dem
ocrat calls being "minus."
The school fund $4Os7 33, instead of being
in the hands of W. W. Chapman, Mills &
Cleveland, and Poole & Frank as stated in the
article i'll question, were deposited with Messrs
W. W. Chapman & Co., who gave certificate
to that effect and which certificate was read
before the whole Jury
The writer in the Democrat further says
why and for what purpose they were in
these hands was not stated" Now, Mr. Delee
presence of the whole jury, that he had placed
that fund in the hands of W. w. Chapman &
Co., for safety, he not having an iron safe of
his own.
With regard to the bridge over the Comite,
at or near the residence of VIM. Patterson,
Esq, we must say that there is gross misrep-
resentation in the article in the Democrat 1t
appears and SO it was stated to the Jury that
when the bridge in question was first let out
by the commissioners, the party who bid the
said bridge off at 1886 could not, or rould
not, give the bond and security requested, and
therefore it had to be readvertised and was Of
fered again at subsequent period, by the con-
sent Of both the commissioners and on the
day appointed to let the bridge out third
time at public vendue, there was but one bid
der for said bridge at $500, and as one of the
commissioners neglected to attend, the other,
after consulting with persons present, was in
duced 10 let Mr.. Drehr, the party bidding off
said bridge for $780, have it, as the citizens of
the neighborhood on each side the Amite, and
the public at large, were in great danger for
the want Of bridge over that stream, and no
ford to cross it. This was the third time that
the bridge had been advertised and the people
kept waiting, by the noncompliance of the par
ty who first bid it off, The truth is that the
contract compelling the contractor to give
bond and security, and to warrant it for IL
months to stand all wear and tear, and inun.
dations, to build of nothing but heart pine
and oak, to put the same above overflow,
throwing the abutments at great distance be.
yond the edge of each bank, is the cause of the
noncompliance of the first bidder at 1896, and
the cause of the high price of the bridge.
The writer in the Democrat says "a COM
mittee was appointed who accepted and paid
$500 for said bridge" (Moorc dissenting
We will now endcavor to show how far Mr..
Moore dissented. A committee composed of
Monroe Perkins, Isaac N. Delee, W ". Moore,
and r. Flower, were appointed to go and exa-
mine the bridge, who made the following re-
port:
TO the President and Members of the Police
Jury
Gentlemen-Your committee appointed to
examine the new bridge recently erected over
the Comite near the residence of VIM. Patter-
son, Esq, beg leave to make the following re-
port: That they repaired to the said bridge,
as directed, and after fair and thorough ex-
animation, pronounce the same good and
substantial bridge, and in our opinion ought to
tract agreed to between the parties.
ISAAC N. DELEE.
w. W. MOORE,
RICH'D FLOWER,
and on the adoption of said report the Ayes
and Nays were ordered to be placed upon the
minutes, and stood as follows:
AYEs--D. c. Mcmillan, NJ. Perkins, W. w.
Moore, R. Flower, |. N. Delee, c. Gore.-G.
NAYs-B NJ. G. Brown, d. Barfeld.-2.
Not only did Mr. Moore vote for receiving
and paying for the bridge, but voted for the
adoption Of the report. While the committee
were at the bridge, Mr. Moore said in the pre-
sence of the committee, and other persons
besides, that ''he would not build such a
bridge for the same money" This looks very
much like dissenting.
With regard to the parish Printing, the facts
are these: At the June term of the Police Ju-
ry, Mr. Reese, the publisher of the Feliciana
Democrat, to prevent the Patriot from getting