The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-09-10

Much has been said about James Fl.
Struble, former Republican Treasurerof
Tama County, having loaned the sum of
81 900 out of the county funds to friend
in Ohio, and our Democratic friends have
actually grown frantic in their efforts to
make political capital out of the charge
along with other similar empty charges
Not being fully posted in regard to the
transactions of the times when Mr.. Struble
was Treasurer, we have made inquiry
concerning the truth of the accusation,
and our belief that the charge was false
has proven correct In the course OF
business, while collecting taxes, sometime
in the year 1859, Mr.. Struble took a
Govt bond in the sum of 81 1000 in pay
ment Of taxes, which he afterwards sent
to Chicago to have sold on the market,
and converted into currency. We are per
mitted TO publish herewith a portion Of a
private letter from Mr.. Struble to a resi-
dent Of Toledo so far as it relates to this
translation, Of date, LIE Mars, Iowa, Sept.
lst 1874, where Mr.. S. explains the mat
ter as follows:
never sent to Ohio, 81, 900 90, nor any
other sum belonging to Tama County.
did, however, during the year 1869 send
certain SEQ L. s. bond to Chicago, Of the
denomination Of 100000, belonging to
Tama County, for the purpose OF having
the same converted into currency and re-
turned to me- This bond was taken by
me in the regular course of business while
acting as Treasurer Of Tama County,
from some party, whose name now can
not remember, and at the time Of taking
it into the County Treasury such bonds
were worth considerable premium, and
| allowed the party the quoted market
price at that time. | took it as an ac-
commodation 10 the party paying it in, he
not having the currency at the time to
make the payment with. | sent the bond
to Chicago, as before stated, had it con-
verted into currency and the amount re-
turned TO me as funds of Tama county,
and placed by me in the County Treasury.
But so far as there having been rise in the
value Of the bond when converted into
currency, the amount realized in Chicago
was less than the amount | allowed the
party when taking it into the Treasury,
and paid the difference out Of my own
pocket into the County Treasury. This is
all there is to this transaction.
We next turn to the report OF a special
committee consisting of B. A. Hall, &.
Jaqua, and G H. Goodrich who were APP
pointed by the Board of Supervisors to
look into this same affair in connection
with some other matters pertaining to the
Treasurer's accounts and we find the fol-
lowing embodied in their report to the
Board
In regard to Govt. bond; In Dec. 1869
there was one bond of One Thousand
Dollars which was sent to Chicago and
sold There is no evidence to show that
any profit or loss was made the Co." This
report is signed by said committee and
was duly accepted by the Board of SUI
pervisors.
Thus itscan be- seen that in this transac-
ton there was nothing out Of the way in
the action which Mr. Struble took in the |
negotiation Of the bond. Tama County |
did not lose dollar thereby, and her in
terests were not prejudiced in the least. /
Evidently our opponents were misin- |
formed about the matter or else they have
told falsehood concerning it. Perhaps
il will not be out Of place here to note the
fact that this special committee was APP
pointed to review the work that James
Wilkinson had done in the investigation
of Mr.. Struble's accounts, and notwith-
~tn S1af ,ot 81, (
inson persisted in the assertion that the
county had been defrauded by Mr.. Struble,
and reported the Treasurer's accounts, in
arrears to the county, this special COM
mittee found that there was no fraud in
the premises, and Mr.. Struble was ex-
from the false accusations of this
model reformer.
We wish to call the attention of
the citizens Of Tama county to the
fact that Republicans have to pay
their taxes in cash, while our Democratic
friends can pay taxes to the Treasurer
with their written obligation. At any
rate the present Treasurer recently took
such an obligation in payment Of taxes.
1t is true that his bonds are good, but has
he any right do this, and will he deny
having done it in direct violation of law.
People who live in glass houses should
not throw stones" If these modern re-
formers are always as honest in their
with Tama County as Mr..
Struble was during his administration in
the Treasurer's Office, the county will never
lose one dollar by them. The Democracy
have made other charges against different
parties out of which they are trying to
make political capital in the present can
vass, which are as easily refuted IS this
charge against Mr. Struble.