The Portland daily press., 1878-09-07
SHERIFF DREssER's REPLY.

10 the Editor Of the argus:
Will you allow me through the columns of
your paper to briefly reply to the gross mis-
representations of your correspondent, Honesty
and Reform. If said correspondent knows
that thirteen barrels OF beer were sold in the
city from Saturday night till Monday morning,
does he expect to justify his adopted signature
by accusing the Sheriff Of negligence, instead
of giving information that would lead to the
prosecution of the violators Of the law? 1
would suggest to him that it may not be pos
sible for any four men to know of every I'M
lawful act committed, if people like himself
prefer to keep crime secret that they may have
the opportunity so rail at the officers who are
enforcing the law.
The assertion that eight dollars per day are
drawn from the county treasury to pay the
Sheriff for work he does not do, is q gross
falsehood, as draw no per diem pay from
said treasury, and in no way nor manner re-
ceive any pay for my personal services in the
enforcement of the Prohibitory Liquor Law.
Hence the lie No. 2 by assumption or inference
in Honesty and Reforms question about the
$4l6 annually paid the Sheriff for services
which he does not perform, is uncalled for and
needs no further answer from me. That no
truly honest reader may be misled by that
Honesty and Reform correspondent of your
paper, will here state that have four depu-
ties who are assigned to the enforcement of
said law, who are .oftener complained Of for
their vigilance than for their negligence. AS
regards the pay of said deputies for such ser
vice, they each receive two dollars per day, a
Fvod hu 10 fthoir hills hoipn oudifad
monthly by the County Commissioners and
paid from the county treasury and such fees
for the service of warrants and subpenas as
the law allows for such services, all of which
are duly audited and allowed by the courts to
which such papers are madesreturnabls.
never charged twenty-four hundred dollars
per annum for heating Jail buildings. My bill
for heating said buildings for the year ending
June Both, A. D. 1878, was twelve hundred
dollars, for proof of which refer to the books
of the County Treasurer.
AS regards the County Commissi oners
refusing to audit my bills for six months end.
ing JaIy i, 1878, it is like the other assertions
of Honesty and Reform. utterly false, as said
bi II was every dollar of it allowed and paid in
full. Honesty and Reform in his ardor to in
some way misrepresent me, and evidently
little caring how it is accomplished if his end
is attained, alludes to bills presented by me at
the end of the year 1877. When the County
Commissioners reduced the price of board of
prisoners in Jail from So per week, which had
been paid for many years to $3.50 per week
they also largely reduced the price of heating
the jail buildings, from that paid for many
years previously, and allowed nothing for
washing, &C., which had been allowed in
former years to other jailers, which is an ex-
pense to the jailer incurred in compliance with
the Statutes which require the jailer to pay
special attention to the personal cleanliness of
prisoners. &c., making q difference, at the
end of the year, 1877, from the price paid my
predecessors for the same services, board,
heating, &c., of nearly fifteen hundred dollars
against me. And while my bills were made
out at the end of my first year, 1877, as my
predecessor had made his, which were allowed
and paid by said Com mssioners l expected on
account of the reduced price of provisions
also of coal, to have the price of board and
heating reduced, and so stated to the Com
missioners at the time of presenting the same.
So much for the false statement that claim a
large sum which am not entitled and have
employed counsel to recover the same.
Honesty and Reform should not forget the
fact that our worthy Democratic candidate for
sheriff. to whom he may be more or less in
debted for information, has been and now is,
chairman of the Comfy Commissioners If the
Recorder Of the Municipal Court Is receiving
more than by law he is entitled to, he (Hones-
ty and REFORM ia respsc tfully infoEl1ed that it
is a matter Of which have 70 kno3Ssage and
over which Ihass 10 ssoutfol. The majority of
tho B6ard u County Gommissioners is Demo-
cratic and SO is the Judge of our Municipal
Court AS notbelieve they allow the Re-
corder to plunder the county treasury by illegal
charges. will not refer Honesty and Reform
to them for expla nation.
In conclusion earnestly recommend to your
Honesty and Reform correspondent that he
carefully study the true meaning of the two
words Honesty and Reform, hoping that he
will adopt the former, which in his case may
call for practical application of the latter.
VIM 81 DRESSER.