The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-02-26
OUR INDEBTEDNESS! !
How Jackson County Compares With Her
NGighbOrS

A great deal has beeen said from time
to time, more especially in times of polit-
| ical excitement, with regard to the in
debtedness of Jackson County, and many
insinuations thrown out that there has
been cronkedness in the management of
county affairs. 1t is always easy to make
charge. and in case those interested do
not take time and pains to investigate it
is easy to find, occasionally, those who
will believe charges that may be wholly
unfounded. That Jackson County is in
debt, is fact beyond dispute 1t would
be a rare thing to find county which
did cash business, and kept no books
But as to the nature and extent of the in
debtedness, we are long ways from be-
ing in bad shape.
The Report of the Auditor of State, for
1884, gives the indebtedness of Jackson
County, with the debts of the Township
and School Districts, where such indebt-
edness occurs. The total for the entire
county is 34,35O.33; of this amount $15,-
053S5, is in bonds issued for building the
new Jail, and due in 1899; bonds of Coal
Township, for building School Houses,
and general school expense, $2,64S.76; /;
Jackson School District, bonds for build
ing School House, $S,762 SO; Wellston
School District, bonds for building addi-
ton to School House, due in 1894, $4,000;
Coalton School District, bonds for same
purpose, s., 2,S95.22. The total School Dis
trict debts are S16,647.72. More than half
of this Indebtedness in the county was in
CURED in meeting the necessities of the
public schools. The remainder in erect
ing new Jail. which perhaps a great
majority of the tax payers of the county
regarded as an absolute necessity. Be
fore we get frightened at our little thirty
four-thousand Indebtedness, let US COM
pare our county with the other counties
in the State, and thus see where we stand
financially.
OF the lightweight counties in Ohio,
eighteen, we believe, are in debt in a
smaller sum than Jackson. Gallia Coun-
ty has bonded indebtedness of 14S,-
146,1S. Scioto County, $46S, S,9295 50. Pike
County, $1O9,37S.O1. Lawrence County,
$325629.14. So that it will be seen at a
glance that we are in a vastly better fix
than most of our neighbOrs.
Of this amount, $34, $50. .33, given as in
debtedness within this county, but $15-
053,S5 is distinctively County matter, or
Indebtedness incurred by the County
Commissioners. 1t will be well for the
taxpayer, or interested citizen, when a
demagogue, or habitual falsifer comes
around sounding the alarm to him. to ask
such an one to show wherein we are not
vastly better off than most of the coun-
ties in the State, and also to ask him to
compare our condition now with what it
was upon the retirement of the last DEM
ocratic Board of Commissioners. 1t is an
easy matter for an evil disposed person to
take figures here and there from the
books and parade them without any ex-
planation, and make them appear formid-
able. What the taxpayer wants to do,
when charges Of crookedness are made
against the management of county affairs
is to go to the books and find out for him
self. When man tells you that "there
is something wrong in the Court House"
it is a perfectly safe rule to conclude that
there is something wrong in him. The
management of the business of Jackson
County will compare, favorably, with
that of any other county in the State.
This is fact, demonstrated by official
figures, and the demagogue who declares
otherwise is as much afraid of the books
as murderer is of the death sentence.