Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-02-05
(From the sandusky RcRistor.)
WHAT WILL THEY DO
Judge Wickham has decided


Judge Wickham has decided:
First-Thoi Commissioner is not en-
titled 10 pay Tor the use OF his horse and
wagon.
Seeond-That Commissioner IL not en-
titled Tor services within the county, to
any pay but his three dollars per day for
time actually employed aud 1--WE cents for
each mile actually travelled on official
busiucss
1hird-That Commissioner Is not en-
titled to money from the treasury to pay
his jnnketing expenses to Columbus.
Fourth ! hat the Probate Judges ap-
pruvnl II necessary to the allowance oi u
Commissioners accounts.
FW That the Probate Judge musl
not approve any more horse hire hills,
Colhnihns trip bills, or any accounts save
the per diem and mileage,
Sirh-Thnt the Recorder must not pre-
sent amy more indexing bills.
Serenh - IHat whdt Me Commissioners,
Dou9ldss, HomegRincr, Turner Chry and
hciicy hare taken for horse hire, other erpsuses
and Columbus Precs, waS Wcgaiy taken, in Vi
oidt'on Of lac, bit hariug been mkcn undtr
form Of fdw cannot be ccorered bdck.
Here are seven decisions, six of them IN
favor Of the plaintiffs, Mack and Keech
acting for The people, aud one in favor of
the Commissioners. And tins seventh is
blackened all over with Judge Wickham's
repeated assertions that what has been
taken WIS taken in violation Of law.
The moral effect of these decisions,
taken together, or separately, is terrific
rebuke to the Commissioners. They may
boast that they nre not required to pay
buck the money Illegally taken. Judge
Wickham says in his decision that If a
burglar should break into the Treasury
and carry off the public money the plain
lifts could not sue the thief for the re-
covery OF the money stolen. He says we
have the right TO stop the Commissioners
from taking any more, but cannot sue to
recover back what has already been taken.
We desire the people OF Erie county TO
fully understand the moral and legal
effects of these decisions, and we shall send
a copy of them to every Taxpayer we can
reach in Erie county. We do not ask
even Republicans TO accept our construc-
tion OF these documents. We print them
IN full that all may read them.
If these Commissioners are not entitled
to the horse hire money, and Judge Wick.
ham 30 decides; If they can take no more
because the law does not allow il, what il
the plain duty of these men If they are
honest men and wish to be 20 considered
by their neighbors? 1t il their manifest
duty to pay back every dollar thus lille
gally drawn from the county treasury,
james Douglass, George w. Clary and
Henry Kelley profess TO he honest men.
One OF them, Clary, has stated publicly
| that ii the Court decided that he was not
entitled to the horse hire and Columbus
trip money, he would pay it back without
suit. The Court has so decided. viii
he keep hIs word! Will James Douglass
and Henry Kelley pay back what they
have illegally thakeh? We do no, expec
anything good of John Homegardner
He has no sense Of moral obligation. Blu
we do expect that the other men will ac-
cept Judge Wickham's decison as cal
ON them to restore the money they have
illegally taken.
| We, for one, are willing to accept til,
theory that these men began taking hors'
hire money under mistaken mtepreta-
ton of the law. But when Attorney Gen
| erai laWIcHCe declared tnal lney were llO
entitled TO 1t, decent regard for the opin
ions OF their neighbors should have caused
them to stop until the court had decided
on their right 10 take 1t. But in spite o
the opinion OF the Attorney General il
spite of the published fact that IN othe
counties Commissioners had stopped TAX
ing such fees, Homegardner, Douglass an,
Turner continued TO draw the money an,
bunsted OF their contempt for the opinion
of the Attorney General they had helpe'
TO elect. 1t is not using too strong Ian,
guage TO say that it was no better thar
stealing to take this money after the AT
torney Generals opinion was published
There is but one way TO escape from th
contempt Of all decent people for thes
men, that to pay back the money til
Court has decided they took without war
rant of law. If they do not MS sure as fate
every one of them will be driven iron
public life in disgrace, and honest mel
will regard them as no better than high
waymen. The loodlums of the Democrat
ic party who have neither honesty no
decency, the Boss Stble gang, the bum
mers and loaiers, wife beaters and Mesup-
otamian free lovers, cannot save then
from the contemp, OF decent men.