The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-05
BELMONT COUNTY FINANCES.
An Open Letter from Auditor Long.
ley to John IL. Heaton.

SlR. IN your Issue OF QAle september
%, in reply 10 some allegations OF the q.
Clarsrilt ChroNiele, concerning the mis-
management Of the financial affairs Of our
County; you charge me with being the
author Of an article in the Chront.ls, I'M
deE'the caption Belmont County Treasu.
" Robbed" Permit me to say that, since
Itook charge Of this Office, November 10,
1871, have not written line for the
ChrOniee, except official advertisements
which was required to have printed.
Possibly am too sensitive in this particu.
lar, but have thought that, occupying q
responsible office, conferred upon me by
the people OF the County, II was no part
Of my duty 10 my party TO use my position
for partisan purposes. ! am still Of ihIt
opinion, but yo1r wautoa and unprovoked
attack upon me (unless the fact that | have
TO some extent put stop 10 your hlching
Of money from the County Treasury which
you never earned and which you had no
legal right 10 draw, has provoked you)
compels me TO notice 1t in this way, and 10
reiute the assertions contained IN It.
! will notice the allegations made By
you against me in the order in which
they occur
Ii Is said thst, on certain occasion |,
with another" WAS appointed a commits.
sion 70 examine into the condition Of the
Treasury, that certified 10 having been
occupied twenty. i've days, that the statute
Allows two dollars per dsy for such ser.
vice, and that drew from the Treasury
"oue hundred dollars for three days
work" You are assured 1t could have
been done in that time" and you have mo
evidence that he (Longley) divided this
hundred dollars with the other gentle.
man"
On the 9Th of February, 1869, Mr.. Ross
j, Alexander and myself were appointed
8 committee to examine into the condi.
ton OF the County Treasury. This WAS
al the close Of Mr. Erwin's frs. collection,
and the Auditor Mr.. r N. Clark appear.
ed 10 have some anxiety as 10 the probS.
bic condition Of affairs. We were urged
to make the most thorough and searching
scrutiny. The books OF this office and
the books, papers and funds of the Tress.
urer were in such condition that q great
deal Of hard wolk and considerable time
had to be devoted to the work in hand, in
order 10 make a satisfactory investigation.
That commission did twenty-five DAYS
work, and made, too, the most thorough
Investigation ever attempted in this coun.
~ since the passage Of the law under
which 1t was acting. was paid $50 for
that work. l never demanded one hun.
dfed dollars from the Commissioners Tor
the same work" When got the order
for my pay from Auditor Clark ESQ, l
did say 10 him that, considering The
amount OF work We hsd done, and the
character Of the work; we were not more
than halt paid. That's all there is Of that
You then undertake 10 account for the
large sums paid for printing and adver-
Using between Sept. lst, 1869, and Sept
lst, 1871, by alleging that these extraor-
binary expenditures were caused BY the
building OF pixies. Ar. Heaton, no Sdver.
tisement Of pike assessments was printed
in either Of these years. Tabular state.
ments Of live stock" will sccount for part
Of it.
You ssy "the statute fixes the price for
printing the delinquent land list" /;
does no such thing, Brother Heaton. |;
dxes price beyond which Auditors shall
cot go in paving for that work, but BY
no means ssys il shall not be done for less,
As you have construed it There shall
hereafter be allowed to the publishers Of
newspapers for advertising the DELINQUENT
and forfeited lists OF the several counties
sum not exceeding the following rates"
SC, Is. & 5. page 20) You sSy procur.
ed the publication OF the delinquent land
lat, last winter, for one hundred dollars
less than it cost the previous year. True
I did procure the publication o. q lsryer
LIST at q cost OF Sl03 IS les than wss psid
you for similar publication the previous
year. You think this 3 very serious Of.
tense. You charge me with having rob
bed the CkToajek Of one hundred dollars.
Mr. Wilkinson. publisher Of the Chronicle
in his issue Of Jan. 1lth, 1872, speaking d
thst very advertisement said: "If Mr.
Heaton and his excellent family must
staTve because We are willing TO take q
fsirprice tor advertising, then let the hand
Of charity be extended; but we protest
sgAinst his slandering rs because the key
OF the County Treasury hss been pat up
ont Of his reach. Last year he charged
$4l for publishing the delinquent ta1
list This year We get about half tha,
sum, and will tske any amount OF similar
printing 81 the same rates"
And now for smother attempt TO de.
fraud the printer BY 8 violation Of duty
on his psrt, sly you You then relate
how Won printed tsb1l4r statement Of
live stock, how I'VE presented our bill"
and how payment WAS raised by the
Auditor" In 1869 the Legislature passed
IN set requiring the Auditor Of State to
transmit to the several County Auditors a
2buiAr statement OF the number OF horses,
cattle, sheep, hogs, mules, and asses,
which statements the several County
auditors shall fUratti for publication in
tbeir several counties" (0hio Laws, vol.
IS, p. 2Il l gave copy Of this staie.
meat 10 Mr.. Wilkinson, Of the Cgrp1iel
s; the same time telling him distinctly
that the law did not authorize me 10 nav
Tor il and that l would not psy for il
Did not furnish it for publicSiiony'
You were never furnished it by me, but
printed ii on your own motion, and then
imp1dently demanded pay for it. l re.
fused 10 psy you, and after had plainly
told the Commissioners that, in nv iudr.
ment, II was maiter over which they
had no control, and that l would NOT OBEY
an order to pay it, if they made it. After
YOU had been kindly told by Commis.
sioner Armstrong that the Board had no
power in the matter, you insulted the
Commissioners BY asking If they "pro.
posed 10 be dictated TO BY this Auditor 81
And then you went out, telling me you
were going out 10 Columbus and would
see shout this thing" We all recovered
l;om The dreadful shock as speedily a.
could be expected under the circumStSn.
ces, sud then proceeded with the transsc.
;ion Of business
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