Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-01-02
Our County Affairs.

The burning of the Court House, and
the consequent increase of taxation,
make the present a very important
period in the history of our county.
What the additional taxes are to be
will depend on the cost of reconstruc-
ton of the building, and this will de.
pend much on the manner of the recon-
struction, whether rebuilding or re-
pairing. So far as public opinion has
been expressed it seems to be almost
unanimous that the building can be re-
paired, and should be as soon as possi-
BILE. The present board of County
Commissioners are having and no
doubt will have many difficult questions
to deal with and settle. They should
have the aid of the best counsel they
can obtain. From circumstances the
people are somewhat uneasy on this
matter. If the Commissioners have
not competent counsel at present they
should speedily procure such, one in
whose integrity the public has reason
to rely. The present counsel is known
to be the real editor of one of our
papers and there are pretty big straws
in it's last issue to show which way the
wind is blowing. There is much more
danger of him drifting under the con-
troll of the insurance companies" than
there is of any of our other editors, as
he insinuates last week. 1t may be
well for the county if he is not "led
into temptation" as it is believed he
could not "resist temptation" BY the
past we Judge the future, and on this
safe principle he will, at least, bear
watching, not only by the taxpayers
of the county but by his present en-
ployers, the County Commissioners.
There need be no trouble about the
amount the insurance companies must
pay. They must pay to the amount OF
their insurance if the actual loss is that
amount. This is the only question in
regard to the Court House fire. Ift
loss by the fire is to the amount of the
insurances the companies must pay,
without regard to any other question.
We might refer to other points now
ofinterest. But only one other will
we at present, as in that is shown the
motive and purpose Of this counsel and
editor to rnislead the public, and per-
haps to throw dust into the eyes of his
employers. He criticises, last week,
the action of the Judges Of our Court.
in their new temporary quarters, for
suggesting that watchman should be
appointed to watch and guard the
building from FIRE. This was suggest
ed by the Court on account Of, and for
the safety of the records, the loss of
which, as the Judge remarked, cOnld
not bo estimated, but would be an un-
told loss to the people Of the county,
as, among other things, many of the
titles to property would be endangered.
Notwithstanding the gravity of this
matter, this counsel and editor treats
the opinion of the Court as one involv-
ing expense and says the Court onght
"to detail one of the tipstaves for that
purpose Now all know that tip
slaves are only employed and paid
while the Court is in session. How
could tipstavcs watch the building
when no Court was in session. TO
appoint one of them would save no eK-
pense, and one not tipstave might as
we'll then be appointed; as indeed the
Commissioners have done, by appoint
ing the son of one of their number, Mr..
Cochran, who We believe will make a
good and safe watch. We merely refer
to this small matter to expose the well
known animosity and practice OF this
editor towards some of our judges. Be
sides, this matter of watchman's ex.
pense was but blind, stopping at
the spigot, while it is ut the "bung
holen the people have reason to look
and fear, aud will he on Tbs va4ch.