The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-01-26
THE SUR AGAINST THE CouSrY.-.

The SURF AGAINST THE COUNTY.
Is the heading of an article in the Ke-
waunee Enterprise wherein our District
| Attorney Mr.. Treat is roundly abused
| for having commenced suit against that
County, to collect two Kewaunee County
orders for 5000 each issued in favor of
the County OF Manitowoc.
We have enquired of Mr.. Treat con-
cerning the facts in the matter and re-
ceived from him the following as the
true version thereof.
On Saturday two weeks ago Mr.. Treat
went to Kewaunee and received from
the Clerk Of the Board, Mr.. Wing. the
orders which had been allowed to Mani
towoc County as stated in the Enterprise
MIR. [. then called at the Treasurers
y Office and was informed that the Treas
urer Mr. Knipfer had gone home to
Ahnepee and would not return until next
Monday; that the Treasurer had the
money to pay the orders and Mr.. T. was
advised, that he had better wait until
Monday, when he would be enabled to
receive the money and so close the mat
ter up, as the report of the County
Treasurer made to the County Board,
a few days before, showed that there
must be sufficient funds In the Treasury
to pay all the outstanding orders.
Mr.. Treat then waited until Monday
and on Mr. Knipfers return presented
the Orders to be cashed, but was told by
Knipfers that there was no money in the
Treasury to pay Manitowoc County Or
ders ) that what money he had must go
to pay the salaries Of the County Officers
and the drainage fund to some of the
towns.
Mr.. I. then called Mr.. Knipfers atten-
tion to his report wherein he had already
paid all the drainage funds in his hands,
still leaving paying all outstand-
ing Orders SO the holders thereof in Ke-
,odunee County-more than enough to
pay the Orders to Manitowoc County.
Still Mr.. Knipfer, like many other Coun-
ty Treasurers, insisted that he had not
the money for our Orders but did at last,
after much urging, pay one of the Orders
of 5000.
Mr.. Treat then asked the Treasurer
if he would pay the balance of the Or
ders when he should come to Kewaunee
to attend court ? the Treasurer replied
that he would pay If he had the money,
Mr.. T. then tried to obtain a'promise as
to some particular time that he would
pay, but without success.
Mr.. /. then offered to take from him
all the script from Manitowoc County
in exchange for the Orders, but Mr..
Knipfer replied that he preferred to keep
what he had on hand until he had col
lected all that might be in the hands of
town Treasurers.
MIR. Treat then told Knipfer that-if
he could not get either the money or a
promise for It at some particular time
he would have to commence suit against
the County; and this he accordingly did
the next morning, as he had to conclude
from the action of the County Treasurer
that it was his intention to get rid of the
payment of the Manitowoc County Or
ders as long as possible, that thereby the
money, which was in the Treasury might
be lent to some friend Of the Treasurer
until next spring or as long as Manito-
voc County could be humbugged out of
it.
we would call the attention of the En-
terprisee to the report of the County
Treasurer in its columns, and ask it, to
give some good reason, why the Orders
were not cashed. as they ought to have
been, on presentation.
IF according to the County Treasurer
own published statement the money was
in the Treasury to pay our Orders and he
for any reason-did not pay them, then
we do not see wherein our District At.
terney is. to blame for taking such a
course as he thought best to obtain the
payment. s..
The real trouble, brother Read, is that
the County Money was already loaned
out to one of the County Treasurers
political friends In Ahnapee and is there
STILL. This is very common transaction
among democratic Office holders.
The people are shaved on the Orders,
while particular friends reap the benefits
and honest public officers are abused for
trying to do their duty. , hra ed