Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-11-04
LEXINGTON INTELLIG
That Courthouse Ring"

Io SSo4S ASooS ASxh6s
EDITORS INTELLlGENCER Some hyper
critical fault finders in our county are very
busiIy engaged IN crying out ''Court House
Ring thinking thereby to prejudice many
good citizens who are not copversant with
county matters to join with them III their
malicious and false SANDER. Let the facts
show for themselves. The first Of January,
1875, when the present so called ''Courthouse
Ring" was indicted into Office, what was
the condition Of Lafayette county: 1st. the
county owed a bonded debt OF 1888 1921. be-
sides a considerable amount of interest due
and unpaid on the same, and the townships
owed = debt of S312, 600. Your floating
debt was S45,515, which consisted OF war
rants, making a total Of 81 .346, 436, beside u
large amount Of interest unpaid on the same.
Your public school money was i'll a bad con-
dition :; interest had accumulated on many
notes for three, five, six and nine to ten
years, making q great loss to the county
schools fer want of proper attention. War
rants had been drawn on improper funds I;
salary alone, more than was levied In their
entire district, for road purposes. Your
public printing cost the most
sums four newspapers existed in the coun-
ty. and when any public advertising was put
IN one paper, 1t was copied by the other three,
and bills were presented and allowed Of
from 10 to 90 cents u line for each paper,
making the printing cost the taxpayers from
60 to so cents a line. The county had been
run at an expense of from S43. 900 to S97 600
n year. The taxes against the Lexington Il
St. Louis II. r., for 1873. amounting to some
SIG 900. had lacked the proper attention.
The Boards of Equalization had failed to
perform their duty in closely iuquiring into
and requiring men to give in their property
as the law requires. The most enormous
levies were made on the taxpayers. In 1873
your taxes for county and state were $3 65
on the 500, and IN 1884, were So 60 on the
500 of valuation. Now, let us see what the
Courthouse Ring" has lone since their in
duction into Office. They have bought up
and cancelled 1927. 400 Of the S9ss. 921 of your
county bonds, besides interest on the same,
thereby reducing the debt about $40, 900 to
the taxpayers. "The Ring" has co-opcra-
ted with the people IN compromising your
county bonds. "The Ring has correspond
ed with many citizens who held Lafayette
county bonds, and has given Information of
the condition of your county, and used ev-
cry effort to compromise your bonds. There
have been compromised by "the Ring''S2O5,-
O36 235 Of your bonds and interest at 20 and
80 cents on the dollar, of which amount $751; |
600 were bonds, and the balance. S44 .O5G 23t, |
and fhora - ,or, S1n nnn $500.
of bonds here in possession of sthe Ring"
for composition. Many men write favorably |
to compromising, and the prospects are very
fair Tor u compromise OF the entire bonded |
debt of your county. Instead of the $40, 515 |
OF warrants outstanding when the "Ring"|
went into power, you now have go, 72G out,
and they now find a ready market at 80 cents
on tho dollar; and 20 cents ON the 800 Of the
you pay this year,goest to pay IL the en-
tire warrant debt, thereby saving 6 per cent.
Interest you pay on the warrants and 5 eents
on the dollar when you have county work
The ''Ring'' has s~ivenetts prompt
to your public school money has |
compelled delinquents to pay up the interest
due, and has sold out and settled up all bad |
notes. and has placed your school business |
on a safe and good footing, thereby giving
FOUR children the benefit OF money due them.
The 'Ring'' has closely scrutinized all
claims against your county, and has drawn
your warrants on the proper funds, as re-
quired by law, and has shown no favorItism
in allowances. The "Ring" has complied
with the road TAN i'm settlements and allow
ances with road overseers. and has used ev-
cry eh'rt to have the roads put in good or
der, and has not allowed any overseer un-
reasonable and enormous claims against the
county. The ''Ring" has reduced the ex-
of your public printing from 60 to 50
cents to 5 cents a line, which saves u consid-
sum to the county. Tho ordinary ex-
oenses OF your county as run by the .Ring'
or 1875, are $23 ,015, and for 1876 have cost TO
November 9th, SIS. ZIG IS, being ten months
II the present year,; and when the .sRipg',
clerk OF your court makes his settlement. and
urns over the excess OF fees to the county,
lie expenses of your county, for the year
$40, VIII be about the same as above, S1S,-
IT. 10. The "Ring" has issued tax-biIis
'Salnst, and levied on the Lexington s. ST.
Iouls X. K. for taxes due your county, and
>ouPchCo Iueu 10 TepleHl0 |
heir property and give bond for the taxes,
mould the court decide you are entitled to
They owe you about 500 600 for tax
IS, and have sued a portion Of the "Cour;-
'ouse King tor damages for performing
heir official duty. The 'Rlng" Board o..
equalization have placed about $500 900
norc of personal property-money, notes
nj bonds-on your tax-books than The as
sssor listed for the taxes Of 1876, thereby
educing your taxes considerably. The
Ring has made a levy of enc per cent. to ,
ay interest on your new bonds, or bonds |
hat have been compromised. They have ,
lade a levy Of 20 cents on the 500 10 pay {
II your floating deb 10 cents to work roads
nd days for each man to work > cents
'r poor house and % cents for county ex-
enSes and 40 cents for state which makes
= ON every 500. of Which 81 20 is to paw :
ne debt contracted in years past. i
In conclusion, the "COurthouse Ring, G
eeps Il record of everything it does, md of
receipts and disbursements of money.
'hich Is open to the inspection OF any and
very citizen who may desire to examine b
u himself. VIM. b. STEELE. ~
One of the "Iting."
Those good and cheap boots and shoe. at
onkllng u Beeding's. go off like hot cakes
'rof. Dowland's Elocution Glasses. \