Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-01-14
Stone Roads.


Of an article on stone roads, signed by
Messrs Rohrs and Booher, starts out by as
serting, that it is an apparent fact that nine
tenths Of the tax-paying citizens Of this coun-
ty are at present opposed to stone or gravel
roads. This may be apparent TO the great
omnispective power of .growIer" but it is
not so to scommon mortal, whose faculty of
perception is confined to his individual OBJ
servations, and who is not blessed with the
higher mental attainments, which "Growler"
seems to possess, and which enable him to
burst out with the following clever bosh:
I'm the light of this apparent fact, is it not
surprising-not 10 say aggravating and inso-
lent-that two members of the Board of Com
missioners shall through the public press of
the county and in two languages (horrible,' -
stigmatize those nine-tenths (9) of our peo-
pie who in the exercise of they privileges as
citizens enter an honest protest to this i'm
provement as "Growler?" To say nothing
of the disregard of official dignity manifested
by the term, it favors of an "insolence of
place" foreign to our plain government of
the people, and is an insult to community
which has the right of petition and protest
and the inherentright to acquire, possess and
enjoy private property" All the protests of
"Growler's" nine-tenths of the taxpayers of
the county, which I have been able to notice,
previous to the action of the county Commits
sioners in the stone road question, were the
resolutions" published in your issue of De-
cember 10th last, and signed by two (say
two) gentlemen from the west precinct of
Liberty township. The gist of these resolu-
tions is the opposition of those taxpayers to
an increase of taxation and of the bonded
Indebtedness of the county, and on this point
fully agree with them. Yet these resolu-
tions, as / am informed, were never pre-
sented to the Board of Commissioners, but
were simply published in the papers. Not
withstanding the fact that no protest or re-
monstrance had ever been presented before
the said board, Messrs. Rohrs and Booher
took pains to publicly explain the reasons for
their official action in this matter, proving
thereby that they never had an idea of ''as-
suming the rights of lords and masters
but perfectly well understood their position
as servants of the people, arguments
and speculations about the supposed
intentions of the commissioners as advanced
by "Growler" and based upon figures, bor-
rowed from the statement of Messrs Rohrs
and Booher, seem to be added only for the
purpose of filling space and are too shallow
for serious consideration. "Growler'' ap-
parently feels this himself for he very prop
erly winds them up by saying: "Out upon
such nonsense" "give it the breast or cram
its mouth with pap" It may be that this
road matter will have to be settled by the
courts, but under the circumstances and in
the light of the figures as given by Messrs.
Rohrs and Booher in their statement l will
not believe that the taxpayers of Damascus
or any other township will commence hti-
CATION to prevent the contemplated improve
ment of the Bryan pike, when the same can
be done without increasing the general tax
levy, and 661s per cent. of its cost is paid by
private subscriptions. Tt is my candid opin-
ion that the finances of our county have been
honestly and economically administered un-
der the present Board of Commissioners, and
that their official actions have not been done
Sin folly and defiance of the people, as
'Growler" tells us, but in the interest of the
people and tax payers generally.
II "Growler" would be fairminded enough
to examine the county affairs as conducted
BY the present Board of Commissioners, he
would find from their past record, that the
Taxpayers of our county have no reason tc
fear for the next future. When the present
majority of the Board came into office, they
found an unfinished court house and no mon
ey on hand to complete the same, but they
were faced by an unsettled contractors
claim of about $35,00o. They also found {
Ibonded debt for building the court house ant
Lsheriff's residence amounting to S135,0OO
and another bonded debt for building th,
Napoleon river bridge Of $4,000, which to
gether require an annual expenditure O
$40, 150 for interest. In addition they foun,
nearly $4,000 in road improvement an,
ditch bonds outstanding bearing and Z pc
cent annually, and the very improvement
for which these bonds were issued mostl,
luncompleted. Since that time the cour
house has been finished and settlemen
made with the contractors at a great saviny
to the taxpayers, the interest on the bondet
debt has been promtly met and $500
of the principal thereof has been paid ant
cancelled. The road improvements hav,
been completed and mostly all of old out
standing bonds have been redeemed. Tn
new iron bridge at Florida has been built an
half of the bonds issued for the same are al
ready cancelled, and the rest, as I am assured
will be paid this year. With all these exper
ditures the tax-levy made for all county pul
poses by the Commissioners has not been in
i creased, but has been gradually reduced fc
| the last three years.
4 These facts, which state upon good au
thority, convince me as a taxpayer, tha
there is no danger of any inconsiderate q
lpernicious action on the part of the presen
County Commissioners in the stone road q
any other public question that may com
before them Tax PAYER
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