The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1877-11-29
Facts, from the Documents and
Figures.

Facts, from the Documents and
Figures.
The election now being over, we can spare
little space to exposing some Of the lies relatve
to ourself started by the Troy Bulletin, and cir
cnlated by some of its favorite candidates, who
are not "Infdelsr and 'Scoffers." Ii is hardly
necesrary to do this rs the people have denion-
strated how mnch faith they put in the stuff,
by their votes, having routed the whole "kit
and tolick, of the outfit that resortcd to this
means of electioi..ering. But there is always q
satisfaction in having lies exposed in clear print
The lies referred to are, that the County Board,
for the last two years, has given the Chief the
County printing in violation of the law; and
hat the Chief is paid several thousand dollars a
year for printing, for which the people are
taxed.
The reader will please turn to the Compiled
Laws of 1865, Chapter 49, section IL, on page 4S3
There the law fixes the rates which printers
shall receive for all public printing The text
says shall be entitled to receive, and does not
authorize any set of men TO beat them
down on what the lawmakers determined, by
thorough investigation, was fair compensation
for their labor. Here is the law:
See IL. Printers shall be entitled to receive the
following fees: For publishing any notice of sale for
taxes each other than lots, for all the
Insertions 25 cents for each town lot for all the in
sertions, 10 cents For publishing any notice when
the time for the redemption of lands sold for taxes
will expire for each tract lot of land other than
town lots for all the Insertions - cents; for each
town lot, 10 cents
For publishing any legal notice. or any order, cita-
ton, summons any other proceeding advertise
per- at rate not exceeding dollar per square of
two hundred and fifty ems for the first insertion, and
fifty cents per square of two hundred and twenty-five
ems for each subsequent insertion.
That is so plain that even q liar may read it.
Next turn to the Laws of 1872, Chapter 10s Sec
tion l, on page 246:
The Boards of County Commissioners of the several
Counties of this State shall have exclusive control of
all expenditures acerung either in the Publication of
delinquent tax lists, Treasurers notices, County print
ing, or any other County expenditures.
That is all there is of it; not a word about
beating the printer down his prices, or letting
the work to cut-throat bids. This law was en-
acted expressly for the purpose of putting an
end to the practice of adveDturers coming in
with second hand printing Offices, bidding down
the printing to less than legitimate printer
can afford to do it for, publishing it in sheet
that but very few of the Taxpayers ever see,
and then, perhaps, skipping out to some other
County, to skim of the cream there. The law
makers held that the object of PUBLICATION was to
give information to the people, and that the
Commissioners were presumably the best judges
of the proper medium through which to reach
the people. They left the Commissioners free in
this matter, ahd independent of the yelping DEM
agogues who get around every election time,
clattering about the County printing, and squan-
dering the money of the dear tax-payers-just
such men as the one who has lately got a belly
full from the people of Doniphan County.
We have said, heretofore, that delinquent tax
lists were not properly County print ng. Read
again the law last above quoted. 1t makes
clear distinction between tax lists and County
printing, specifying them as separate items.
And it is very clear why this is SO. The cost of
publishing delinquent tax lists is not paid by
the tax payers--on the contrary, it is paid by
those who do not pay their taxes. Laws Of 1S7G,
Chapter 131, Section 3, on page 207, provide
that all penalties and costs delinquent lands
shall be collected from the sale of the lands; and
Section Z, same Chapter, on page 209, provides
the same thing relative to lists Of lands for re-
demption. The County simply orders the publ
cation, collects the fees from the delinquent
lands, and pays them to the printer. If the
printer published these lists free of charge, it
would not even save the owners of the den-
quent lands a cent for the law requires that
the Treasurer shall charge up the % cents against
lands, and the 10 cents against town lots, regard
less of what the printer actually gets of it. And
this has always been done. The fees fixed by
law are not only charged up, but are also sub
ject to the SO per cent. interest fixed by law, the
same as the taxes If the printer is beat out of
A. ,,,t. alyak 6
the delinquent lists were published without
charge, it would not save the Taxpayers dol
lar and if they cost $40, 900, it would not add
dollar to the taxes.
Now, for the immense sum that the Chief has
been getting for County printing. The editor
of the Bulletin that, in the tax estimates the
sum of $1,000 was set apart for printing; and
from that time onward, be based all his lies
ON the theory that this whole 81 900 was for the
benefit of the Chief. In making estimates for
printing, very important item is the blank
books for all the County offices, and the many
other blanks that cannot be printed in the Coun-
ty. These cost hundreds of dollars annually
and after they paid for, there is a large hole
cut in the printing fund. When the County
Board met, last Friday, we made special re-
quest that they would examine the Clerks
books and ascertain just how much money
which the Taxpayers had to contribute, We had
received from the County, for printing, in the
last two years. They did SO, and found that it
was 81, ,O04.30, or S5O2.l5 year. This is the way
the Chief gets 5000 year from the ax-payers
of the County. Yet the Bulletin could do the
printing, and save the taxpayers $1,000 year
out of this $500! The County printing will sell
dom exceed 5000 year.
One more fact, and we are through. The
law plainly gives the County Board control
of all printing ordered by the County. When
they make an order that all the printing
shall he done by specified person or estab-
lishment, every County officer is bound by
his oath to obey that order, as much as he is
bound by his oath to perform any other duty de-
volving upon his Office. The County Board have
ordered that all printing be done by the Chief
Yet the editor of the Bulletin has, time after
time, importuned different County officers to
give him certain printing, contrary to the order
of the Board, saying that he would run the risk
of getting his bills allowed by the next County
Board He urges public officers to violate their
oaths for his benefit, and expects to get his pay
from future honest and conscientious Board,
alactad hv the aid of his immansitv of assprapce