Nevada County picayune., 1886-08-25
Greenback.. k..Mismanagement

Editor pICAYUNE:-The editor of the Dispatch, in his issue Of II inst, gets of another of his art ful lodges. Instead Of coming up in mani, WY an answering the charges and statements made by me, he,switclles off oa the present county officers. No one has made any charges against tlle present county officers. He wodld try by tl,iS lodgrr to make the impress sion thrt the present county o'- ticcrs are the ones agaunst Wlom the charges of cxtravagance anu bad management are made. lie knows this,is not the case, yet he hopes to escape all answer to the charges 'maIe, by this method. Futher on in his article he tries 10 justify the extravaganza ot hlS oi- ficers bv stating that they had 10 pay SS,l72.5l for bridges. Suppose they did. 1 have already showed that they had the advantage of ln- creased revenues more than sui ficient to meet this. The Demo crats built and paid for bridges both before and after the Green packers had the offices.
 The last year the Democrats had control of the county affairs (1SSO) they paid out nearly $500 for bridges. As the editor offers no other excuse or explanation for the large increase of the county's debt by his Greenbacl> officers, the presumption is that he can g!re no other, and as that is fully met by the increased revenues, ther he tacitly admits that the increased indebtedness of the county was caused by the bad management and extravagance of his chosen of ficers.
 The editor admits, however. that the debt of the county has been decreased by Judge Hale to the extent of S3,9l5.SS. If that was really all that it has been de- creased, it is enongh to show the people that the affairs of the coun- ty can be more safely entrusted to the Democratic party than the Grecnbaek CTS. Judge Halo had less revenues than the Greenback- CTS, yet under his administration the current expenses are met, and the debt created by the Greenback CTS in part paid off, while the Greenbackers were all the time en- larging the debt.
 Since writing before l have made some luther i'm estigat!on oi this matter, and while the exact amount of indebtedness of the county in 1880 cannot be stated, vet have arrived near enough the exact figures for practical purpos- eS.
 At the time the offices were turned over to the GreenbackerS, the indebtedness of the county, in clnding allowances made at the October term of the County Court in 1880, and claims then mad iusted and afterwards allowed by the Greenbackers, amounted to about S7 ,5O0O0.
 On the 30.h of October, 1881, when Judge Hale was qualified. the debt, including claims unsd- iusted and afterwards allowed by Judge Hale amounted to S24.5j5.
 Increase of the countNs debt by the Grcenbackers in four years. Sl7,055.
 The debt of the county at this time, including estimates of cur rent expenses up to October 3l, 1886, is sl9, ,000.
 Showing a decrease of the coun. tvs debt :n two years by Judge Hale of $5.555. These figures speak for themselves. l deem it useless to say more. Neither Capt. Ansley nor MT. Pittmdn have at tempted to make any satisfact- ory explanation. The truth is they cannot do so. The people can read and see for themselves, and they must decide which party they will trust with their countys af- fairs.
 The Greenbackers not only fail to account for the useless waste Of the peoples money. but we may infer from their silence that if again entrusted with the offices they will repeat it, and if cOntin- ned in powe: it would take them hut a short time 10 bankrupt the county.
 1 cannot believe the people of Nevada county will again endorse this party and trust it with the county's affairs. The facts given go to show that 1t would not be safe or prudent to do so.
 J. NJ. MONTGOMERY.
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