The Red Cloud chief., 1881-05-05
3&ssts q S@s q Tie County o@esrs u
esaaA tie P~rsess4iaeL
n Lying Edior Working an The Inierea
Of County Officers, and n9aina
the Tdx-Pdyys
Erery Homesfead>r and 7dx-Pay1
should spot tie Soosndrei and
av0id him as thy you'd
Plague.

EDITOR CHIEF ask a space in the
columns Of your paper TO call the At
~tention of your readers tn few facts
and TO submit q few questions peril
nent to the general investigation Of
county affairs, 4 topic made familiar
To all by a numerous and prevailing
discussion during the past few
weeks.
What are the material facts thus far
known and shown?
Has the investigation become a
farce-and il so, wherefore? Some
time since a petition vas circu-
lated, and the same numerOusly and
freely signed by citizens of the county
praying the county commissioners TO
appoint a committee to investigate
county affairs. 1t has TRANSFERRED that
this petition a not originated
and signed simply by a few ''puny
politicians" As limited by the Argus,
but rather TO quote an expression used
by n of the commissioners, There
are the names of many respectable
men-as good as there are in the
county, appearing upon that petition,
and consequently We cannot very well
ignore it,"
What next? Whercupon by motion
and by a vote Of two to one. the COM
missiOners resolved to investigate. They
would sift matters TO the bottom. The
taxpayers of Webster county should
be satisfied as to the condition Of its
records finances etc, and the matter
placed at rest at last.
But they did not investigate, neither
did they organize them selves Into an
investigating committee or court Of
impeachment upon that day. What
did they do? The fact is they ad-
jOurned until the 18th Of April, saying
that in the meantime they would
select a capable and competent man
or committee of men To assist i'm the
work Of examination"
The 25th, Of April found the county
commissioners i'm session. But how !
As an investigation committee with
expert assistants? Certainly not.
The minutes Of the meeting upon
that day show, that, board met pur-
suant to adjournment, minutes of
last meeting read etc" Matters re-
garding road districts, official
bonds, pauper acc'ts. etc." were dis
posed of in regular order, such bust
ness then does not enter into the in
investigation of county affairs. The
minutes then show this. "The board
then in furtherence of the investigation
of county affairs issued a subpoena
ETC. again, "Mr. Thomas refused to
come without his fees, and the board
having control over no money that
could he used for such purposes the
matter Of investigation was postponed
until the next regular meeting etc"
Lose this day loitering-'Twill be
the same story tomorrow, and the
next more dilatory." I'm JurthDrancs
Of the investigation of county affairs"
The matter of the investigation was
postponed" Such is the language
used in the minutes and which shows
| that the commissioners have neve as
yet organized themselves into All in
vestigating board. BY what authority
then do they issue subpena's for citi-
zens to appear before them and
testify, They had none, subpena's
are not required neither are witnesses
in the investigation of records. Were
the commissioners sitting AZ a court
of impeachment, oral eveidence would
then be in order. But, say the major
ity Of the commissioners, I'VE wanted
spacific charges before We commenced
proceedings" Whose business is it to
make "spaciic charges at this late
day? The petitioners prayed for an
investigation, the prayer of the petit
tomas heretofore noted-was
granted. 1t was within the power of
=, the commissioners to grant or reject.
Is it then for q majority Of the COM
missioners by, and acting under the
advice Of clerk Tulleys to subpoena
one petitioner out of two or three hum
dred to appear and make specific
charges, after they had already reso'red
to investigate the County records
This matter il of more importance
than q personal spite of q majority
of the commissioners and clerk Tul-
leys (still more spiteful) against NJ. L.
Thomas. He is but one interested
alike, among the hundreds of tax-pay-
ers Of Webster county, carrying the
burden caused by looee administration
of past years. How, says he of the
Argus, the champion and color bearer
of the Court House, he who would
cause the breeze which would waft
away the cloud now lowering over the
principal occupants Of that structure,
he says the investigation is a farce"
because q citizen irregularly summon
ed, refuses, and rightly too, to appear
and propuce evidence, make specific
| charges, in fact to make out his case
before the court has convened. before
the jury is empannelled, a majority of
the commissioners intending perhaps,
should they find sufficient evidence to
esaria without duplicating themselves
OF heir adviser, TO convene court. pass
ssatence ard adjourn.
The fiendk Of clerk Tulleys say.
Can you bring forha man who will
swear that there - anything wrongT"
We can We say o. clerk Iul-
H.. ssN.. MN br.py fopfR man NOT