The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-05-31
COUNTY REFORM.

..| -- H.
We last week called attention to
the practice Of some Of our county
officials Liberals" so-called-in
giving out large contracts for print
ing and advertising to a political IA
yOrite, to be charged for ut the high
est notch, and paid for ont of the peo-
Plies money, without first ascertain
ing whether the work could not be
done with less cost to the taxpayers,
by the correct way Of asking for bids.
Our pecuniarily interested neighbor of
the Era attempts q reply by saying
III County Clerk has had sole charge
Of the matter referred to, and that he
is gentlemanly and il sometimes
thought a too impartial officer. To
Mr.. Danford, personally and officially,
we are indebted for many courtesies,
and, unlike the Era, we have nc pc
cuniary interest in making the state
ment.
Contrary to the assertion Of our
neighbor, we have not been asked to
file a statement as to our subscription
list; had we been asked, we would
cheerfnlly have done so. Butts it any
excuse to pay a hundred dollars more
for q job of advertising, because of an
alleged difference of dozen or SO in
the subscription lists? But the law,
in the case of the financial statement
which the Era published last week,
says nothing about subscription. 1t
reads as follows:
1.-THE facts thus ascertaincd. and the
accounts and statements thus made
out, shall be entered on record in the
said courts, and published in some
nepspaper in each county. where any
such may be printed" &c.
Are we claiming a share of the
county PATRONAGE Most a%ssuredly
not. We don't believe there should
be any such thing. The county busi-
ness shoul3 he managed as faithfully
by the incumben:s Of county offices
as their own private business is car
ried OIL. No one is crcdulous enough
toSbelieve that any onc-we care not
how Democratic he is-would be will
ling to pay two hundred dollars to
the Era office for a job Of work that
Sould be done by us with profit for =
hundred and ffty-yet such work
for the county is repeatedly taken
there, and the people pay the bills to
Keep up q '.riDg," the center of which
is the Era newspaper.
I~nslnuations are made that the gen.
tlsRanly Circuit Clerk and Probate
Judge give Us work to do at cxtrava-
CANT prices. If this is so (Which it is
mott, the County Court shold not allow
the bill. But we have never done
work for Judge Caldwell, and what
We have done for Mr.. Edwards has
been At the lowest possible figures
at Hannibal prices; and the Era editor
probably knows what that means.
As a faithful and economical admins
TRAITOR Of the county affairs in this
s16ce, we a hut say that Mr.. Ed
wards does RICH: in getting the coun-
TVS work done where it can be got the
cheapest, even if he be forced bv the
Era high-priced monopoly to ''scnd to
st. Joseph" With regard to Mr..
Edwards and Judge Caldwell, as
economical, useful and faithful SER
wants Of the county, we take especial
pride in comparing their conduct
with those who were elected as RE-
formers" The legal notices which
from time to time pass through the
hands of these gentlemen are, as a
rule, inserted in the newsp ,per des-
ignatcd by the attorney in the case
the plan adopted by our County
Sherif--and VIC can not see on what
gro0eds the Era can object to SO i'm.
. practice. But tho county
does not pay for these advertisements,
and the consideration of the subject
by our neigbbor is palpabiy blind :,
to cover up its OWE little monop-
aly Of forcing from the taxpayers big
pay for little work. What business
send us, as personal friends.
md which is not paid for by the coun.
y, ahould be no cause for complaint
ny cur neighbor of the North Side,
We do not complain that the Demo.
ratio county officers take q half doc.
n copies Of the Era to swell its sub
cription List, for they are presumed
Q pay for them themselves; but whcnt,