American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-10-08
FORyIATiON WANTED.
HSOmc Of the working men of The indie
nrn,lrnl NrrtN. II, u WHO .arm = L.ir nrn- h

! HSomc Of the working men of the indie
pendent party, men who earn t',rir brc7 4
by the sweat Of ;LoiT faces. d. .,- Or. isu,w
at H., board ot sup, ~ .Sor1 % Madison
rnuui 3, whether tht contract 10 10 G rtin
turnpike work GA bear Geek :,lver-
tisca, and il so, whcu."
The above appears in The Canton Nal of
October LIST, In behalf of the board l
propose to answer. Tho turnpike alluded
To Was ADVERTISE. three weeks, snd let out
to the low, st bidder at eleven cents per
cubic yar,l. The party who took the con
tract. finding he would lose money, and
II ct hcITg able to give the bond as required
hy law, threw up the contract, after cX-
pending ahout SO on the work. Thc.c
WAS of course nothing left for the board
hnt to relet the wcrk. AT the next meet
ing of the board informed them of the
facts III the ease, AID after consultation
with the members and a number of gen
tienIeu outside, it was agreed that should
relct the work on that day, when The
board was i'll session, and when ether con
tracts were Ia DE let Out. there being as
much competition rs we could have Cotton
up il the three weeks notice had been Civ
en-. 1t was let ont with the distinc. I'M
Outstanding that it shorlI not Z, above
other turnpikcs let ont on that day. Pub
lie pro clana,ion WIS made. and the work,
witt specifications, offered publicly to tie
lowest bidder and bid off ut fourteen cents
per cubic yard, two cents less. than other
similar work WAS bid off at. The last party
has gwen bond, finished the work. and it
has been received and paid tor. TO have
Civ the legal notice would have extend
ell the completion of the work far into
the season, That it would not bave had
lime to become packed before the winter
rains set in. in which event the public
travel would have been seriously inter-
III Ia
Now, ask any fair-minded man. wheth-
er he belongs to the independent party
and ''earns his bread by the sweat of his
face or any other party: Has the public
interest suffered in this action of the
board. and have they not acted for the best
of the county, and as any other
sensible men would have done. This COM
plant came from one man, and not from n
of hand working iIIdept nslent men
who ''earn their bread by tine sweat of
their faces" and this man has been pres
ent at nearly every meeting OF the board,
when contracts for the county were let
out. and has never secured contract, tor
the reason that he always wants about two
prices for his work. This complaint of the
action of the board of supervisors comes
with very poor grace from a man who has
never. SO far rs can find, paid Il cent of
tax INTO the county treasury, not even a
poll tax. Pretty specimen of man to
be complaining of any one, for not prof.
crly representing the interests of Ito
county. The board of supervisors, know,
is composed of gentlemen, and they
would spurn with contempt Il charge that
they would show pe ference to auy class
in letting out the public work of the coun-
~. whether they belong to the indepcnd-
rnt or democratic party. The poorest col
pred man has equal rights with The most
influential man of the county. IN bidding
and taking public contracts before the
board of supervisors. and l believe any
honest mah in the county, who is not in
luenced I,y improper motives, will award
them that Justice. J. X. POWELL.