The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-06-05
COMMUNICATION


like to occupy small space in your
columns to rectify an error ] have
made, for it appears that the poll"
itical air of Stevens county has be.
come so morally pure that man can
not even dream except he dream by |
the record, without being brought
to book.
Now Honestly believed that the
commissioners had bought as much,
as two hundred tons of coal in one
year and that was the amount I
dreamed of, to which exceptions are
taken. How L got the impression l
do not know, supposed ! learned it
from the audited accounts, and find
a great many others had the same
impression; but am one of these
men who believe in letting the truth
be known tho the heavens fall.
Now ! am satisfied that l was in
error, it appears that the largest
amount that was bought any one
year was sixty tons, and the smallest
eighteen or nineteen tons;and further
l tender my thanks to the commits
sioner for his Information. If l am
wrong in fact or doctrine am always
glad TO be set right.
In the course Of my Investigations
| stumbled upon some other facts
about the Court House coal that
seems little odd to say the least; in
fact l believe that if that Court
House coal cellar could talk it would
tell queer tale.
Now their seems to be three
varities of coal there, one is the
proper kind. 1t further appears that
the commissioners ordered car load
of the proper kind of coal through a
coal dealer, but by some mistake he
got stove coal. Now what did the
commissioners do; why they accepted
that coal, and succeeded in pedling
off h2lf OF it, and have the other half
on hand, but they could not use that
coal so they gave the same man
another order for car load of the
proper kind of coal, and when ii
comes it proved to be egg coal; not
much better than the first, and they
accept that. Comments on such
business methods are unnecessary
But except the two Car loads of Goa
before referred to, the coal business
seems to have been farmed out to ont
man; and that when he obtained hi
contract to furnish sixty tons of GOA
for a years supply, the commissions
who signed the contract was insane
1t appears further that no living mar
but Matt knows whether he put sixty
: tons or seventy five tons of coal int
that coal pit, but Matt is an honorable
man and it is not likely ne put in an.
more than he got pay for. There wa
one thing more learned about tn
5 Court House coal, and that was
: while all the county officers exeep
the Sheriff received their warmth AM
heat from the pit that is not bottom
I less, under the Court House, tn
Sheriff had to pay over one huudre'
dollars each year for coal to- kee
iss..s, ,sss,rrxz ---4suzuS--I- A--&h-A-opn-~o Sc
ls<-kznake fish of one and flesh {
% another is beyond the comprehensive
III
u of this old bald headed granger, an
l give il up. But to find ways thu
10 are dark you need go no further tina
IA Stevens county board of count
- commissioners, even if you had to G
10 farther to find tricks that were vail
~ One thing more, there seems to /
-, an impression that l have a feelir
~ of enmity towards our county officer
- but nothing is further from tt
IL truth; as whole l believe we hay
y competent, faithful set of count
III officers, honestly earning the
10 salaries, and that they should
10 honestly paid every dollar. Wht
~ they were elected and qualified
10 was virtual agreement to pay the
10 so much money, for their service
III and if any one has gathered al
lie other idea from my writings on tn
y subject they have entirely mistake
le there animus! If a man spills b
blood and spends his treasury
" secure an office, he is entitled to Il
u emoluments, if he succeeds. If '
le have made bad bargin we bhOu
IN stand up TO it like men, but becau
lg we have paid too much for lab
81 in the past that is no reason that '
lie should do SO in the future. Now
te would recommend that every t,
'e' paSar in the county resolve himse
We into party of one, and pledge hir
pc self to support no man for any coun
"a Office unless he would pledge hImse
IL to cover into the county treasury o.
sG third of their salary, to create
81 sinking fund to pay off the bond
Il indebtness of this fair and ferti
Oh country; and then possibly some
es our cnildrens great grand childr
" may live to see some of our bond
10 debt Iqudated,
nd r. sx
of