Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-14
A Reply to Taxpayer"
FULTON, OHIO COUNTY, w. VA,


FULTON, OHIO COUNTY, w. VA, |
August II, 1886. !
To the Editor Of the Register.
SIR:-Please publish the following:
To "a Taxpayer"
Your communication in this morning.
REGISTER seems to have been intended as
compliment to two or three of the County
Commissioners at the expense of myself
and others.
Asa public officer, responsible to the
people for my official acts, have adopted
the rule of meeting frankly and openly all
charges made directly or indirectly against
me-even though-(as in your case) the
charges or inuendoes be made by an an
onymous and irresponsible writer.
What is the charge embodied IN your
venomous attack of this morning?
Were l seeking popularity alone, or, in
other words, were / setting my triggers
for reelection as County Commissioner
from Washington district, | might search
in vain for q better and more telling cam
paign paper in my favor than your arraign-
ment of me in the REGISTER for having
been too kind to the poor and unfortunate
of my district, in this fiscal year of 1856
and 'S6, when our mills and factories were
idle, our workshops closed and business
generally depressed.
But the OdiOus-I will not say comparl-
sons, but cOntrasts-you have seen fit to
draw between the aggregate sum of the or
ders drawn by me for groceries, coal and
shoes for the unfortunate OF Washington
district, and that of those drawn by some
of the other Commissioners, are so evl-
IDENTIFY intended to create an unjust preIu-
dice. on the part of the taxpayers of my
district, rs to demand, at my hands, q
brief statement.
If"A Taxpayer" had wanted to he fair,
if his object had been the public good in
stead of private spite and malice against
MessrS. Pickett, Peterson, Delbrugge and
myself, why did he not accept as the prop
er datd for fair criticism the very dull and
detailed reports made in July, 1855, by the
several commissioners of the amounts by
them distributed for groceries, shoes and
coal, and the parties to whom distributed
| The InteHigcRcer and REGISTER Of July l..
1885. contain q Financial Statement OF
Ohio County for the year ending May 81,
| 1885, in which there is, over the sigma
! ture of each and every one Of the several
county commissioners, detailed report OF
the orders Including as well those for gro
ceries rs those for shoes and coal together
with the names in full of the recipients
1t will be remembered that the publca-
ton of this detailed report, though COM
plctely indicating the Commissioners
against the oft repeated charge of negli-
gence and extravaganza in their dlstrlbu-
ton of the poor fund of the county, was
met with painful protest on the part OF
the humble bcneiiciarieS themselves, who
thought it hard enough to be compelled to
receive aid from the county, without being
mortified and additionally Inundated by
the publication of their names in the news
papers-together with the amounts rcccir-
ed by them.
out of consideration for these miortu-
nate people (many of them, then as now,
only temporarily embarrassed by general
dcpreSsiOn of business, the Board humane
~ determined that the names, and specific
amount received by each, should not again
be published in the papers.
Ii a Taxpayer, who charges me with
being lavish for issuing in the year ending
Nav 3lst lSS6, orders for the destitute for
groceries in the amount of 81 ,SSG. -, and
for coal S57.7j, making Il total of 81, 9ll.jO,
had taken the trouble, or done me the fair
ness, of examining the detailed report
(printed, as stated for the year ending
MAY 3lst, 1856, he would have discovered
that there had been very decided decrease
of expenditure in that direction. For the
report for the year ending May 3lSt, $3.50,
shows that in Washington District there
was expended on orders issued by me land
| chccriully leave it to any well in
formed person who has read the list, as
published in the Wheeling papers July
18th, lS-5, to decide whether ar no these
orders, or any of them, were impr0ridcntly
or improperly issued flor one hundred
and twenty (l20) families, with 40 chill
dren; ii widows, Is men and wives total
SO persons divided on orders given To IL
groccrics'-for groceries, coal and burialS,
the total sum of 81, 6l7.35. While my re-
port for the year ending May 3lSt, lSS6,
now on file with the Clerk of the Board,
containing specific details Us To names,
amounts, &c, land which a Taxpayer
or any one else may examine for particu-
lars shows 81 families "a decrease of 81 rs
against the preceding year. provided for at
an expense 10 the county of Sl,9li.5O IA
decrease of 500 us against the preceding
year,
Persons acquainted with the character
and boundaries of Washington district,
know that many poor families reside on
Coal street and in alley G, and that during
the recent and long continued strike there
has been IN increase of suffering among
some of the workngmen Of my district,
which, at times, ncccSSitatcd assistance
from the county.
During the years in which | have served
the people in public capacity, have often
been compelled to rcpcl Islander and .iuSti-
iy my public acts, but certain il is, never
before expected 10 be called upon To cX-
cuse myself for doing all the law allowed
me TO do for the poor and unfortunate of
my district. MICHAEL STEIN,
Co. COmm'r Washington Dist.
Is GOod&CO sell drV goods the CheaDeSt