Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-02-23
The Commissioner Annual State
ment.

ihe people Ol tue county lOT solle
years have been under the impression
that it is the report the County Audi
tors that must be published. This no
doubt arises from the fact, that for
years the Commissioners have publish
ed an abstract of the report instead
of the statement required of them by
law.
The statement this year is the full.
est and most complete we have had in
many years. 1t gives the people II
fair chance TO see what is done with
their money. The Republican Just
now is doing much to mislead the peo.
pie in its attempt to Rervert this re-
port. There was letter published
the other day from some fellow in Snow
Shoe, proposing to 60 back for ten
years and investigate. Right in the
face of this they make no charge that
there is now, or has been anything
wrong except with the Sheritf's ac-
count. The business man of the two
boards of Commissioners preceding
the present, was n Republican, and
it does seem that there never is any
thing crooked in the management of
the county finances, but that a Repub-
lican is in it head and heels. Twenty
one years ago there was trouble, then
the county Commissioners and Treas.
urer were Republican. Now the effort
is to make the Democratic party re.
sponsible for errors, if any there were,
committed by tne late Sheriff. Where
was the Republican Commissioners
when settlement WIS made, The
minutes of the office show he was pres.
ent and took part in the settlement
1t was his business to examine the
board account thoroughly to see wheth-
er the number of days charged for each
prisoner was or was not correct. While
we do no. believe that the late Sheriff
would wilfllly do wrong act, it such
has been done, and the record seems TO
show it, We dare not, nor will we un-
dertake to shield him one whit. II he
has through inadvertance or otherwise
drawn pay for boarding more prison
ers than he wa entitled to, he should
be required to refund, and we have no
doubt will do so at once. The Sheriff is
not to be blamed that he received fifty
cents a day for boarding prisoners.
That responsibility belongs to the Com
missioners, aud according to Republi-
can views that board was Republican.
Another charge against the Sheriff
is his charge for removing fish baskets.
Here the Sheriff acted clearly on a mis-
understanding of the law, which did
not require him to search the streams
Of the county for fish baskets. But
whose fault is it that it was allowed !?
Whose business was it to stand guard
over the public funds? We leave the
public to draw the conclusion.
When we stand by the law We can.
not go wrong, or if we do We cannot
be blamed, for it is the law and We
must obey. A brief examination of
the acts of Assembly relating to the
removal Of fish baskets will show what
the Sheriff ought to have done aud
what he ought to have left undone.
The Eleventh Section of the Act of
Assembly of 24th of May, 1871, re.
lating TO the protection of fish pro-
vides that "the Sheriffs of the counties
"having jurisdiction of such reaches of
"the streams, whenever they shall dis
"cover or be informed of the existence
"of such contrivances for the catching
"of fish as are commonly known as
"fsh.baskets, eel-wires, kiddles, brush
"or facine nets, or any other perma.
"nently set means of taking fish, in
"the nature Of q sieve, which are known
"to be wasteful and extravagant modes
"of fishing, the said Sheriff. shall give
"ten days notice 10 two newspapers of
"their respective counties, that the con-
"trivances are known to exist and are
declared a common nuisance, order.
"ing them 10 be dismantled by their
Owners or managers, so as TO render
"them no longer capable Of taking or