The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-01-01
THE DOINGS OF THE COUNTY
BOARD.
To THE EDITOR OF THE PILoT:

| 70 THE EDITOR OF THE PILOT:
In the article headed "Sherifrs fees
| published in your last, occurs the follow
ing:
"We acknowledge the impregnabl,
position of o Moses On the matter O
| fees, but can find an answer in the auer-
OF Boss Tweed: "What are you goin.
TO do about ii ~
answer nothing, absolutely nothing
Ny heart is not adamant. 1t throb!
alphabetically for the poorly paid
much abused office holders of this coun
ty. Why, the present sheriff drew bu
! 50, 6sC.32 from the county alone, for tht
first ten months OF his official career
| What he obtained from all other sources
OF his Office, ] Of course can not correctly
state; but it is absolutely safe to say
| that he gathered unto himself more thai
s., 600 during the first fve-sixths of the
year. 49,
The patient tax payer will see. at {
glance that this insignificant sum fully
justifies the county board in doing as
they SO nobly did-elevating the niggard
~ fees that were established, no doubt
by more niggardly Legislature.
LET private individual take that
which does not belong to him and he is
grasped by the strong clutches of the
law; but should q person holding official
position be guilty of a similar deed, il
will merely cause hearty laugh and
draw out the remark: "What are you GO
ing to do about it !"
We answer again nothing. True, il
looks strange That any officer would GER
tlfy, on oath, to the correctness of illegal
charges; and it looks stranger still that a
county board, sworn to do its duty,
would allow them. Yet we are going to
do nothing about it. But to show you,
Mr.. Editor and the county board and all
others concernrd that something could
be done about it, allow me to quote Sec.
734 of the r. S. which is as follows:
No sheriff under sheriff or deputy
shall directly or indirectly ask, receive or
demand for any services or acts to be by
him performed in the discharge of his
official duties any greater fees than are
allowed by law; and for the violation of
any of the provisions Of this section
every such officer shall be liable in ire
BILE damages to the party aggrieved, and
shall forfeit not less than twenty five nor
more than two hundred and fifty dollars.
Still, we are going to do nothing about
it. For the present at least, we are con-
tent with showing to the toll worn tax
payers Of the county how their money is
squandered by a big hearted, whole
souled county board.
But probably the most laughable thing
that this most laughabIe board did with
the peoples money was allowing hand
some sum to their clerk for canvassing.
Canvassing what? 1t certainly could
not be for eanvassing election returns
because this is made his duty by statute,
and is fully covered by his handsome
salary. They have fixed" it in this
county as the tax payers know to their
hearts content. Once fixed it can not be
raised nor diminished for the space of
two years. Once fixed no extra ''sops"
can be thrown him for simply perform
ing his legitimate duties, as the following
from the r. S. will show:
every county clerk shall receive for
compensation the salary fixed by the
county board and no more. All fees al
lowed by law to the county clerks shall
be collected by them and paid to the
treasurer for the use of the county"
And yet in the face Of this logical law
our iIlustrious board throws handfulls of
the peoples money into the lap of their
clerk in addition to bis handsome salary
of 800 per month Of six hours per day.
And yet we pay district attorney
$500 per year for explaining" the law
to the county board and compelling the
members thereof to work within the
legal traces. Probably they will not
kick over the tugs SO badly hereafter.
The salary of the said attorney has been
raised to $500, and for the difference
Sl50-he ought to cheerfully accompany
the board in all its wonderful wanderings
and guide them Alright even if he had to
walk knee-deep in the gore of his coun-
trymen.
In the meantime the people of those
towns that were left out in the cold by
the assessment committee are endeavor-
ing to collect, by all legal and charitable
means sufficient Filthy lucre" with which
to pay their unjust and burdensome tax
es. Let us feryently pray to the heaven
ly hosts that they will be successful, as
it would be terrible calamity to block
the wheels of our county government or
dam the sources from which flow the
glittering ''spondulicks' which go to the
support and maintenance OF teachers
libraries, ''insane fees" canvassing"
money and other charitable and COM
mendable objects too numerous to men,
ton, but well remembered by our truly
good and great county board.
o Moses.
PLUMB & NELSON'S ITEMS.
The incest stock of drosead ,,o,,1l-,-