Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-05-11
COMMUNICATIONS.
r. VI. CLARK, e. Go.

R. " CLARK, & Co. =
For the Chronicle. y -
1t seems that by an act passed by the
Legislature March 9th, 1861, it was
made the duty of each County Treas
urer, Recorder, Sheriff, Prosecuting
Attorney, and Clerk of the Court Of
Common Pleas of this State, to make
returns under oath to the County
Auditor of their respective counties on
the first Monday of September of each
year, of the amount of fees and moneys
received by them, or due them, during
the year next preceding the time of
making such return" And
"That it shall be the duty of each
County Auditor IN this State, on or be-
fore the first Monday OF October in each
year, to make certified statement to
the Auditor OF State, of the amount of
fees and moneys received or due the
County Treasurer, Recorder, Sheriff,
Prosecuting Attorney, and Clerk of the
Court of Common Pleas, and also like
statement certified 6y his affidavit, of the
amount receired by or due him." the said
County Auditor. And, ~
THAT the Auditor of State, in his
fannuai report to. the Governor, shall
include, an abstract of the statements
made by, the respective County Auditor
as provided for in the preceding Sec
tions.n --.--...f. e., a-
Now, Mr.. Editor, the object of this
law was, very clearly, to furnish the
Legislature with correct and reliable
table of the fees, salaries and moneys
received for official services by the
several County. officers, separately; so
that the Legislature could compare the
salaries in the several counties, and
see at a glance what was needed to
equalize them. An inteIligible basis
would thus be secured for the Legisla-
ture to act upon in regulating the pay
of County officers, and overcharges and
other irregularities would be in a great
measure prevented. Unjust and enor-
imous salaries could be reduced, and
fsuch as were too low in some of the
counties, increased. Every one will
say this is a good law, and that il
should be; faithfully observed, and its
provisions rigidly enforced wherever
a backwardness existed on the part OF
any of the officers concerned, to report.
How is it with our Belmont County
Officers? The County Auditor, it
would seem from the annual report oi
State Auditor, failed to make the re-
port, for last year, as required by law.
Whether or not the other county Off.
GERS reported to the County Auditor as
the law requires is not known by the
writer, but it is presumable they did
not, or the Auditor would hardly have
been SO derelict i'm duty as to refuse OF
neglect to forward their statements
The penalty provided for each officer
who shall neglect or refuse to perform
this duty is 500 for every such offense.
The money to be paid into the County
Ire ,sury, for the use of common
schools in the County. And it is made
the duty of the Prosecuting Attorney
to collect the same, in the name of the
State of Ohio. If the prosecutor himself
is delinquent, the law very kindly pro.
vides that the Court shall appoint an
Attorney at the expense of the County
to prosecute him in like manner, and
collect the penalty. Jig 30 Ei's.
1t will thus be seen that the county
has fair show for pretty good pile OF
school money. There are six officer
who are required by law to report
which, if they are all delinquent, as is
supposed, will make an aggregate adj
dition to the school fund of 81 200. The
! attention of the Prosecuting Attorney
is especially called to the subject. He
. has not been retained, 80 far as the
! public are advised, by the County
4 Auditor, and will doubtless be free and
even anxious to. discharge his duty
faithfully to the County. A fine op.
portunity exists for the present prose
cutor to vindicate, and perpetuate hi;
already well earned reputation for Off
cial integrity and legal ability. NJ
possible contingent interest can have
any influence with such an officer, and
we may well congratulate ourselves
, with the favorable prospect of a sub
J istantial increase in the school funds.
, The Democratic counties of Belmon
and Ross are the only counties in tn,
State that failed entirely to compl!
} with the law in making the required
. reports. The penalty Of 5000, is small
matter to an officer that gets from thre
thousand to five thousand dollars pc
, year, but how an officer can get clea
Of the obligations of his Office so as tt
refuse or Neglect to discharge a plair
: official duty, is not so easy to compre
| hend. Possibly with such an array o
attorneys as seem to be at command
: the case can be satisfactorily explainei
r We shall see. a-ia OSCAR.