The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-10-12
ing entry tit is quoted exactly as rec

Orded by the clerk:
1.-THE next in order was the elec@
ton of Clerk to the Board.
"a. Mullen, President of the
Board, announced the names of the
following gentlemen as applicants for
the position. together with theiY bids
which weresas follows:
&c. w. Merrill bid $500.
SWIM. d. Hoye bid $500.
"E. ]. Fringer bid $3.50.
IA vote for Clerk was then taken
and resulted as follows;
&c. w. Merrill received ! vote.
"W. D. Hoye received vote.
"Blank l vote.
ION motion of A. Mullen a second
vote was taken which resulted as fol-
lows:
&c. W. Merrill received 2 votes.
Nv. D. Hoye received vote.
&c. w. Merrill having received a
majority of all the votes cast, was,
on motion of A. Mullen, Pres, made
the unanimous choice of the Board
for Clerk for the ensuing year at o.
salary Of three hundred dollars per-
dnnlsna."
This is the record, and 1t shows
that a valid. legal and binding con-
tract was entered into by and between
the County Commissioners and g.
w. Merrill, now one of the Demo-
cratic candidates for the House Of
Delegates by which Mr.. Merrill
contracteC agreed. upon his own
offer and MS own violation, to
peaform all the duties of clerk, if APP
pointed, whether required by law or
the County Commissioners, for the
sum of $500 per annum. and the
Commissioners contracted to pay
that amount, no more, no less.
Now, let US see how the contract
was complied with, and what we
have to say Is not in any spirit of nn-
kindness toward Mr.. Merrill. liking
him personally. it is done with the
utmost charity. without comment as
to the value of the services rendered.
Mr.. Merrill was appointed clerk and
performed his duties, but how about
the compensation =?
BY reference to the levy list for
1884 we notice levy to Mr.. Merrill
as Clerk of $500, $500 of it being spec
flied as salary
BY reference to the contingent
fund account for that year we fiud
entries as follows:
"Sept. 8, 1884, to G. W. Merrill,
$500.
"Jany. 10, 1885. to G. w. Merrill.
s32."
And by referring to the book, Liber
B. proceedings Of Commissioners, we
observe that the orders on that fund
for those amounts, were passed in
favor of Mr.. Merrill for services as
Clerk, making the sum of S532 thus
, received by him instead of $500, the
contract price.
This is not all. The Act of Assem-
bly, passed in 1884 authorizing the
funding of the School Board debt, OIL
rected the County Commissioners to
issue and dispose of the bonds pro-
vided for it in the law for that pur-
, pose, The Commissioners attempted
to comply with the provisions of the
law, and in doing so, necessarily re-
quired the services OF their Clerk,
who under his contract was entitled
to no additional compensation there
for. But we are reliably informed
land if our Information is erroneous
we wish to be corrected.) that Mr..
J Merrill did receive for those services
the SUN of $3.50. 1t does not appear
in the records of the County Com
missiOners Office, but it does appear.
we are advised, on the School Board
, books; that when the money real
lied from the sale of the bonds was
turned oyer to the School Board by
J the County Commissioners this
amount of $3.50 was accounted for as
J having been disbursed and was en-.
tered by the School Board or its Sec
rotary as disbursement to Mr.. Mer-
rill, thus making 1852 that Mr.. Mer-
rill received for one years. services as
Clerk, instead of $500. his contract
price.
As to the year 1885, after a careful
examination we failed to find any
record of a re.appointment of Mr..
} Merrill for that year. of any action
upon or modification of the contract,
or anything relating to the cIerkship
in that connection and as Mr.. Mer-
rlll continued to act rs Clerk ne could
only do so, as is well established in
law. under the terms and conditions
of the original contract. no change
therein having been made. Did he
do so: We again turn to the record
In ba u