Nevada County picayune., 1886-08-11
Creenback Encouragement.

PICAYUNE published some time ago. A persOn not acquainted with the facts might suppose from reading the Disratch editorial that had opened the fight, when it is well known 10 the readers of his paper that my letter was written in reply to one from Mir. John M. Putnam. previously published ill the Dispatch, and which contained statements calculated, as l under stood them, to deceive and mislead the people. l supposed from the tone of his letter that Mir. Pittman desired an investigation and com parison of the management of the cOunty's affairs by the two parties, or that he supposed he could make such statements and they wonld go unclIallenged. Capt. Ansley throws up his hands in holy horror, and says it comes in bad grace at this late day for me 10 make the statements l did in my letter. The people will bear in mind that Mir. Pittmn opened the fight that Capt. Ansley published his letter without any disapproval, but by ifs publication, tacitly endors- ing it. It seems to me that the matter comes in as bad grace from Mir. Pittman as from me. If he had let his pen alone there would have been none of it. The truth is Capt. Ansley has begged the question, and neither he nor MT. Pittman desire an investigation.
 Those who read my letter will bear me out in saying that did not pretend that l had made dis covery of any particular wrong on the part of the Greenback party in the management of the cOuntA's affairs 1 did intimate and do still !, that there Was bad management of the COuntN'S affairs. and l think a fair statement of what the records of the county clerks office dis closes. which now propose to make, will satisfy the people that 1 am correct.
 The Greenback party got con trol and possession of the offices of the county in the fall of 1880. The revenues of the year 1879 were the last collected and used by the Democrats In that year the as- sessed value of the taxable prop erty of the county was al, ,3S2,26l The Greenback party had control of the affairs of the county four years, collected and used the rev cnues for the years lSSO-Sl-S2 and S3. In that time the assessed val ue of the taxable property increas. ed until in tle last named year It amounted to S2,325 ,3l5, an average : annual increase for the four years of A235,763,
 1 Now, whilc the Democrats for years before this time, had been paying off and discliarging the debt of the county, the Grecnbackcrs in their four years, with this great increase Ot taxable property, instead of paying off and decreas- ing the deb, of the county, by their I bad financial management actually increased the debt to an amount nearly, if not quite, double what l it was when the offices were turn ed over tO them.
 Judge Hale was elected and qualified as county Judge in 1881. He has controlled the revenue col lected for the years 1881 and 1885. In these two years the assessed value of the taxable property of the county has decreased S2SS. 1JJ, an average annual decrease of sl44, 377, and yet by his management of the affairs of the county he has re- dmced the debt several thousand dollars-perhaps as much as SlO,- 900 or more.
 Now, ask Capt. Ansley and MT. Pittman 10 explain, if they can. why the debt of the county was so greatly increased in the four years the Grcenbackcrs had the offices. If it was necessary and legitimate, show us wherein it was so. Show Us why it was necessary for your party 10 increase our debi so much with such increased revenues as you had, when Judge Hale, with less revenues than you had, has not only met and paid the current expenses of the county, but in less than two years has paid off SlO,- 900 Of the debt you left hanging over us. In what respect were the legitimate expenses of the county greater while your officers had control than they have been since! Iou may say you had to huild and repair more bridges. Grant it, and reply that you had the ad. vantage of the increased revenues. more than sufficient to pay for them.
 You are again asking the people to trust your party with the con