American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-06-07
ADIEET MENT
The Way the Cat Jumps
M. Editor:

M. Editor:
The undersigned wishes the pull
lie to know how the affairs of tn
county of Madison are managed
He wishes the people to know how
under the present Board of Super
vIsOrs and connty officials, 1t is i'm
possible fnr any man not a memhe
of the "Court House ring" to ge
any Of the public work to do.
He wishes to relate, for the bene
fit of other unsophistIcated bu
honest working men, how the mat
ter of awarding contracts for county
work is managed, and then the,
will not be surprised when they find
the District Attorney, who know.
nothing of carpenterin, painting
tin work Orglaziug, is awarded a
contract for doing such work. Ill,
will not be surprised, also, that the
County Treasurer and Postmaster
get jobs to build causeways and
bridges without knowing any thing
of either. Now, what l state are
facts, and can be proved.
| On the morning of the day that
the bids were to be opened to see
who would be awarded the contrac,
to repair the Court House, and
about three hours before the said
bids were opened, Giles, IA clerk in
the Off of the Chancery Clerk, had
the following conversation with a
gentleman Of this place. He stated
to this gentleman that he, Giles,
l., Or,
the amount of the bids and the
name of each bidder, saying that
neither of them would get the con-
tract, but that MIR. Pratt, the dap
per little District Attorney, would.
Further, he stated that he, Giles,
would get from Pratt the job OF
painting. The gentleman with
whom he thus cOnverSed suggested
that perhaps MIR. Pratt might back
out OF his promise, aud let some one
else have the job. Mo- says the re
doubtable Giles, for if he does I'll
he id if l don't burst the whole
thing up"
What do you think of this, fellow
citizens
Working men, who think that
when you put in your sealed bids
they are t. be left SO until the
Board meets, and all are opened, all
to have "A fair chance, did you know
before that Giles, or some one with
whom he was in collision, opened
them aud let his fellow rimgmen
know exactly how much each bid
was, so as to permit Pratt & Co.
Just to bid dollar or two less, and
get the contract every whack Are
you aware that such crimes are
being committed in your midst,
aided and allotted by those sworn
to carry out the law!
In view OF the above facts, You
will not, then, be surprised when the
writer OF this article tells yOu that
he saw the envelopes in which the
bids were enclosed, torn up imme-
diately after the President of the
Board of Supervisors opened said
bids, so as to prevent detection Of
this iniqlItOus game!
Yet, fellow citizens, all this is go
no bid is safe, no envelope free from
being pri"d into, and contracts
awarded to such men as Pratt, Boyd
4 Co. in this ciandestine and illegal
way.
Are such men fit to hold respon-
sible Offices in any country! This
miserable creature, Giles, is the
pnppet and tool through whom his
smarter companions in crime work
their nefari0us schemes.
This community should not slam
Der while these things are going on
around them. This is not the only
county in this State that is suffer
ing from just such baretaced trans
actions. A; the last term OF Judge
G. G. Shackleford's court. in Wash
ington county, one j. z, Ball, a
negro carpet-bagger. and Pres dent
of the Board of Supervisors of that
county, was indicted and convicted
of rascalities similar to those named
above, and has received from the
court free pass and permission to
check his baggage through to the
State Hotel at Jackson, a place
where good nigeers [neverl CO.
And the son of this honest but per
StCutcu HIItcdH, y. L. Dali, ""uiu
have followed i'm his fathers foot
steps, and would have received the
same accommodation by the above
named worthy judge, had he not
voluntarily taken a change of venue
to the State of Arkansas.
Then ye few officials, be fore
warned of the fate of thy friend and
brother, lest that Indispensable i'll
stitution of the State should make Il
valuable acquisition to its mechani-
cal department by IA large invoice OF
competent contractors from old
Madison.
l have mole facts for the people,
MeSers. Amateur Contractors.
FAIR PLAY.
If YOU want sewing MACHINE