Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-10-14
Some False Statements Corrected.

hiSt lOITcCttus
We are credibly informed from many
sources that Mr.. Barley, Democratic
candidate for county treasurer, is in
dustriously circulating through all the
county statements that Mr.. Mcmahon
placed the county money which was
lost by the failure of the Platteyille
bank in that bank as private specula-
ton for his own profit Every man
who has been a member of the county
board for the last two years has had
ample evidence of the utter falsty of
these statements. a part Of this evil
denee is the affidavit of the cashier of
the failed bank. which affidavit is pub
lished in another column of tins issue.
The evidence of all the town treasurers
connected with the affair can be given.
The money was deposited in that bank,
not bg Mr.. Mcmahon, but by the town
trcasurers in the vicinity of Platteville
1t was deposited not for the county
treasurer's profit or advantage, but for
the accommodation of those town treas
urers If they had not deposited it
there they must have brought it to Lam
caster and left it with The county treas
urer in the county treasurer's Office or
with the bank here There is no safe
place to keepit in the county treasurer's
office. AT that time there was no rea-
son to suppose the Platteville bank was
not fully as safe as the Lancaster bank.
There was not the slightest reason to
put those town treasurers to the trouble
and expense of bringing the money to
Lancaster. The matter was conducted
in every particular just as every pru-
dent and careful business man would
have done it. The county treasurer
was acting as the agent OF the county.
1t is principle of law that when an
agent has taken all reasonable care of
the property of his prncipa l--taken
such degree OF care as a prudent man
would take Of his own property the
loss Of the property is the principals
loss. rhis was illustrated by case
where a man, acting as agent for
another, deposited money in that very
bank and lostit The loss was adiudged
to fall upon the principal. Then the
whole loss should have fallen upon the
county instead of half Of it upon Mr..
Mcmahon. But some say, "what
is the use of bondsmen, if they are not
10 pay loSses?" When the losses occur
through the dishonesty or negligence
of the public officer, the bondsmen must
make it good, but there is not the
slightest evidence Of dishonesty or neg
ligencc here, and very few persons ex-
cept Mr.. BARLEY and the Lancaster
paper which is champloniug him Cloth
of whom are deeply interested in smirch-
ing the county treasurer) entertain OF
express the slightest idea that there is
any erookedness IN the matter
There is ample evidence that Mr.. Me
Mahon never loaned a dollar of the
county money at interest, but there is
no evidence whatever that Mir. BARLEY,
if he were county treasurer. would not
loan the county money on interest, fol
loaning money on interest is just hi.
business. Ii is all he is there for.
But meaner ana more cowardl
misrepresentation than that noticed
above is the lnsinuation which has ap
peared more than once in the TtUe1
that the county treasurer planned aao
designed TO have this loss occur. Said
that paper to prospective candidate.
for county treasurer, Try in some way
to let the county money slip out Of you
hands excusabiy. Doing SO will secur,
your denominations A correspondent
(Mr. BARLEY says it vas not heb, echo
ing this insinuation, says, IF he Nc
Mahoul wants fourth term he has on
IL to get dcay with another $4,000
The writer of that probably knew yer,
we'll that not a dollar OF that none,
was ,crcr in Mr.. MeMahon's possession
and vet he dishonesty and brazenly in
sinuatcs that Mr.. Mcmahon got away
with the money Such slanderous an
dishonest methods Of electioueerin
will prove q boomerang which will mex
next election day knock the stuilin'
out Of the men who throw them.