, 1872-06-06
Official !nsoIence.

Areauest made by number of the
largest taxpayers in the County upon
the County Auditor for more explicit
statement Of the financial condition OF
the county than he chose to make in
his official report. has brosght forth,
through the organ Of the ring" the
following insolent response:
a few words in connection with the
above "petitien - The only evidence
have that such petition ever originat-
ed Is from its appearance in the last is
sue Of the PUGET Sound DISPATCH. and
the only tangible reason can assign for
not receiving Ii fnom the hands of the.
originators (in the ordinary way by pre-
sentation) is that they were ashamed of
their own handy work, or disliked to as
sumo SO much responsibility. 1t GER
tainly could not be that the whole affair
WAS gotten up for any political effect
the high respctabiiity of he sieners
would preclude such an idea. Pos IDLY
it was not the intention of the majority
ofthe signers to have the thing publish
ed, but owing to the pressing necessity
riring efforts to give an interest to his
dying sheet. and being left in the hands
Of the originators. they could not resist
his powers of persuasion. But VIII CHI
ever reason the public may assign, there
the thing is. tlh
My first impression land probably the
most correct onel was to trea. the thing
with the contempt it deserves. But, in
Al, &c
finding that they had been enticed into
the plot, and having evidence that sever
al more were honest in their intentions
and signed the thing in good faith. TO
them, and them alone. l make this
statement When they. or any other
equally as sincere. wish an explanation
of the annual exhibit as last published.
in any one of the items, or have any
doubt or any misgiving in regard to Il
part or the whole of the exhibit, will
cheerfully devote all the time necessary
for the purpose, and make pubic all the
facts pertaining thereto.
A word in regard to the attitude of the
DISPATCH towards myself, which think
fully explains its course bur which the
next edition thereof will emphaticllly
deny-it is the truth nevertheless =
Some time in last August, I Was called
,,pon by Captain Wright to aid bv sub
scription new paper to be started i'll
this city. l WAS willing 10 subscribe IN
TIL learned that Beriah Brown was TO
DO its editor. at once declyned to aid
that OF any other paper edited Oh coir
trolled in whole or part by him. A
that time Mr.. Ike NJ II Il had cor
troll of and was publishing the DISPATCH
and was employed to do the County
printing. but as soon as Beriah assumed
the control, ! used my preroGative, and
withdrew the public printing from the
DISPATCH and furnished it to the Inte;ii-
qe3acer BY so doing. l incu1redthe dis
pleasure of Beriah Brown and the pro-
prletors of the DISPATCH, which shall
hope to merit as long AS they continue
to publish or control it. | was Immedi-
ately made aware of their displeasnre by
the financial man Of the concern, that they
.including Beriah. proprietot and finln-
cial many would cook my goose. &C,
&c, next election. Very we'll. gentle
7aen, proceed. Twill be here when you
get through. / want no better evidence
hat am right than year opposition
Your only show for public pal" with
ort which your paper must coHapse) Is
in my defeat, and the election of an Au-
,iiicr of your peculiar ilh. SO sail in
With your dye stuff, s&c., &c..- s..s
80 * '- GARDNER KELLOGG.
o. SEATTLE, May 31st, 1872. SA
IN view of the fact that nearly thirty of
the citizens, including many of the larg-
est property-holders and taxpayers OF
the county, signed this request for pub
-lication, the assumption that they were
"ashamed of their handy-wmk n.
''aislIked to. assume So much RESPONSE
bility;;'' or that any portion ofthem were
"enticed into the plot, and that only a
few of them "were honest in their in
tantions;'' and that his ''first impression
tand probably the most correct one J
was to tres the thing with the contempt
1t deserves" on the part of clerk
towards his employers. exhibits de-
gree of insolent audacity that has no
parallel. The signers of this request
we're principally his party friends; the
men who gave him the position upon
his own most abject appeal to their
charity and promises Of reformation Of
an iu-spent life. They did not ask him
for an account Of his personal quarrels,
likes or dislikes. but for what they had
a right TO demand of their servant-a
faithful; report of the manner in which
he has discharged his public trust
They find in his official report large dis
crepancies in statement a large amount
of the assessed taxes unaccounted for;
conversion of public securities unex-
planned and no detailed authentic
statement of the financial condition of
the county made. They ask this clerk
for explanations of manifest irregu lari
tions and he replies with insult and con-
tempt, assuming that he is master and
they his humble petitioners asking for
a boon which it is beneath his dignity
to grant. This bravado so unprovoked
and out of place, is conclusive of rascal
7ity somewhere. The agent who has
dealt honestly with his principal. does
not assume the offensive when called up
on to account, and such au exhibition of
vlrtuous indignation will neither silence
investigation, or deceive anybody as to
II 4 r A. -