The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-06-14
Judge Bonham Declines an "Otfice'
Under the County Court.
EMrJRE PRAIRIE, Mo-, June 1

l. EMPIRE PRAIRIE, Mo-, june 10, ls12.
To the Honorable County Court of Asdrcw
county, Missouri
Sms-I this day acknowledge 'hc receipt OF
II commission appointing me Il Justice Of the
Peace for Platte township, issued by your court
dated May 20, 1872, which omnission l this day
return 10 your honorable court, refusing 10 re-
ceivc said'conimissiOn from your hands for the
following reasons: First, il Is II we'll known
fact that two years ago, while | was y member
of the old court, and came up III Il candidate for
The same position, and was nominated by II large
majority by my own party, and run and was
defeated, two of the members Of your court,
through corrupt motives, in order To defeat me
and To get the control OF the County Court,
which yOn finally did, went around TIN oJSh the
county and denounced me III u corrupt member
of The old Court, and used NIL the interruptions
means ia Your power TO defeat me. You told
the people, then, sirs, that | was not 10 he trust
rd; aud now let me ask yO,, sirs Talbot and
McLain, i'll was not Ia be trusted then, why Is
il that GU now appoint me Justice of the Peace
ont OF the most important positions III the
cOunty--io sit 10 Justice Court, 10 decide be-
tween what Is justice and what j. injustice to
my fcllow-nIiI that may come before me To lit
igaic on points Of law? Now, slrs, | suppose
that when you issued This commission you be-
licycd | was honest and would deal out justice
according to law; and ii you believe am honest
now, why, sirs, IL shows 10 the people your cor
ITpi motives in telling them Two years ago that |
could not he trusted. Or, II not, then, siis, YOU
have sent me This commission thinking IL WAL
buy me; aud here let mc inform you that am
not for sale, and Will not receive mn appuin;-
ment from your hands. And now, M"Ssrs.
Court, did you not tell the people, Two years
ago, how You would reform Things in Andrew
county when you come into power? Wei, sirs,
here is the way you have reiofmtd them. loi
had no twenty thousand dollars OF f9a:iIS
debt Ia pay OF, and YOU levied no railroad tsN,
making twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars
less revenue To De raised in the count! Tor lc,l
than the year 1919, and In That cas- our taxes
should have been less liity cents on the hiidred
dollars assessed, allowing the county expenses
To hay. been the same AS the previous year
But, sirs, la place OF being my cents less on the
hundred dollars, they were only twenty-five
cents less, which makes the county EXPENSES
under your Court. twelve thousand i've buiidiet
dollars. more Tor 1871 than they were under the
old Court for ls1o And t.is yesr' ! nm IN
and In place Of making lew suipeiem 10 pay
for yeair Poor-hot,se, you 90 to WORK anu take
Observation-Disclosures OF The. school money TO
buiit your Poof-house, and then tax the people
ten per cent. ia pay the interest on The school
money, aadssayfo the people: you can not have
the school money vito use any longer; and by do
ing this yoh reduce the tux this year TO ST. % on
the hundred. Now, sirs, ! believe you have
done this ail for political purposes; and you
will go before the people this fall and tell them
how you have lowered theirtaXes, put you VIII
be very careful not to tell them that the railroad
Interest and principal has not been paid for the
last two years, and you Will mol tel them that
the Poor-farm and P0or-h0use Is nor pa.a iDr,
years, after this election, thai all tins back
principal and interest has got to be PAID, and
that in 1873 or 1874 our taxes VIII more Than be
doubled. And you viii be very careful not to
tell them that You have failed TO levy this tax
this year to pay this back Indebtedness, for the
reason that you want 70 carry me election In
this county this fall on the hobby thai You nave
reduced thc'taxes under your administration
but YOU will not tell them how you nave reduced
them, and you will not tell them thnt You have
failed to paw the honest debts of the county.
And, again, let me nsk your honorable court
why il was that you did not submit IL To vote
of the people and order an election iof 'he huol"