Delta chief., 1885-09-16
VOLUME III.

THE county officials. comprising the court
house ring, are doing all in their power to
elect their own successors at the coming
election. Their scheme is TO secure by in
tricue. false promises of assistance and
grand rally of their friends at the primaries,
the nomination of weak men who will ap-
pear upon the ticket in opposition to their
ring. and then at the election to turn around
and support the present ring Of county Off
cials. To accomplish this end they do not
hesitate to make tools of any one who, by
reason of mere promises, will lend himself to
their cause The game is an old one and
has been worked successfully time and
again in other and older counties than this.
OF course they will make enemies of the
men in whom they have stimulated hopes
and then betrayed, but what do they care.
Another two years pull on the county
treasury will fill their purses to such an ex
ten, that they will have no need Of further
political aspirufions. 1t will also plunge
Delta county into All Indebtedness from
which the youngest voter will never see it
relieved. The interest ON our debt at the
present tinse amounts to over s. 900 per an
mum. which is nearly one.hslf OF the money
raised annually by taxation for county pur-
poses. Al the present rate of expenditure
another two year, will increase the county
Indebtedness 10 such an extent that the An.
nua! interest thereon will more than exceed
the total amount raised by taxation for coun-
~ purposes. Then where will the money
10 pay necessary county expenses come from!
II is then that the county will bc hopelessly
IN debt. and tina, the court house ring will Of
themselves relinqush their hold. 1t is to
the interest Of every ranchnan to see that
they r-linquish their hold mt onee-bcfore
the las, life drop has been drained from the
county's Golfer, before IL is too late. IL may
be sad that other county officials may be no
better. Try them. They can lie no worse,
and IL elected ia the interest of an economic
al county government the chances are that
they will do better. Another county clerk
could mt least prepare for publication an
itciniked statement of the county expenses
and thus afford the taIpsy-rs All opportunity
Of seeing where their money !. going. The
taxpsyers could demand Of new treasurer
chat lie shall not exact more than per cen;
for the collection Of taxes where the present
treasurer receives eight per cent. They can
exact n new county Judge that he accepts
the Office for the regular fccs and pcrquisiics
thereof. and that he shall not receive 500
salary Ia addition thereto. They can de-
mnnd of the comfy clerk that he shall per
form the duiie, Of clerk of the Board Of
County Commissioners for n salary of 5000
. year instead OF $500, and also tina, the
county clerk and county judge save the
expense Of a salaried county attorney.
County officials who are themselves fleeing
the county canno, and do not object when
others attempting to do the same thing,
hence for every dollar illegally paid tn coun-
" official. some third party puts in an illegal
claim for similar or greater amount, which
Is paid in a manner similar to "hush money"
II is not alone the 1000 which the county
officials illegally receive, but the several
thousand dollars paid To their tools aud
friends which would no, be paid II the couu.
" officials themselves were not conscious of
receiving Illegal compensation. From cor
rnption corruption must certainly emanate.
In order 10 turn the It'd. of our county Fl.
nanccs from their present downward course
TO hopeless insolvency, 1t l. necessary that
every person interested shall exert himself to
the fullest extent Attend the primaries
and elect delegates who will nominate the
best, most competent and strongest men. In
the nomination of any but the strongest men,
defea, is certain. The money of the taxpay-
ers has been purchasing influence to be used
against you. Your own money, in the shape
of . contract for book case oi bridge for the
county, may be offered ~ bribc for you TO
support the present incumbcnts. Some
wonld accept the bribe, others would not.
1t is thu. tax payers have to fight against
their own money, aud their only hope is in
earnestly uniting and by personal work and
influence from now on at the primaries and
st the polls increasingly struggle to gain the
control of our county affairs, save our county
credit, and protect yourselves from the cnor-
nous taxation which must follow the extrav.
saant ex penditurc Of our comfy money.
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DELTA COUNTY is one OF the smallest
counties IN the State in area, population and