Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-10-16
NO SHORTAGE.
The Republican Claim q
Campaign Lie !

The Signal says: Thousands of dollars
have been found missing by Mr.. Webster in
his report to the auditor of State" Now.
this a lie made out of whole cloth and the
Signal knows it. Mr.. @. w. Webster, the
great expert, has juggled the figures in his
report like jumping jack, for no other pur-
pose than to create the impression among
the taxpayers of Henry county that the
county has been robbed by its past officials.
Every Intelligent taxpayer knows that the
county auditor does not collect one cent of
the public money. that all public moneys are
paid into the county treasury, and that all
the auditor has to do is to keep account Of the
money 50 collected or paid in. The sum and
substance Of Mr.. Webster's report Is that the
predecessor of George Russell in the auditors
Office has made erroneous distributions of
taxes collected, and that in consequence of
such errors the sum of $1050.35 remained in
the county treasury, instead of being paid to
the State of Ohio. This is the result of the
investigation by @. W. Webster, which was
instituted by George Russell, the present
auditor, and his friends, not for the benefit
of the taxpayers Of the county but for politi-
cal capital in his own individual interest on
Iy. Sec. 1913 of the Revised Statutes of Ohio,
authorizes the county auditor ito correct any
error which may have occurred in the ap-
portionment of taxes ct any previous settle
ment," and why did George Russell not do
this if he found that such errors had occurr-
ed? If the conclusions arrived at in Mr..
Webster's report are correct, George Russell
should have distributed the sum of $1050.35
out of the county funds to the State funds, in
addition to the $443.5O he has already paid O.
W. Webster for this investigation so bene-
fetal to the countya VIII he do 80 after
election? M Isl
Here is a sample Of the eape,t report print
ed in pamphlet form for electionsering pur-
poses. Onpage2 Mr.. Webster says: "The
settlement sheets for 1886 agree with fund
book except in county fund, the sheet show
ing there had been collected for said fund in
February SI1194.29 aud in August $75o1.08
and there is charged TO said fund on fund
book to February collection $12496.36 and to
August collection $l0370.95, making total
of S4172,0I more charged to said county fund
for the year than the settlement sheets show
was collected. Here it seems that Mr.. Web
ster was in the suds for while. More mon
ey distributed than collected will never do,
that is not what I am here for, must find q
shortage some where. Finally he finds in
the commissioners annual.report printed in
the NORTHWEST the sum of $505e.65 old de-
linqusnt personal taxes credited to the coun-
~ fund--then he proceeds on the same page
as follows: "Deducting from this amount
(S525S.65) $4172.O1, more charged to county
fund than was collected this year, there is 3
balance of $10S6.64 not yet disposed of. and !
cannot find where said amount is placed in
any fund yet examined"
On page 4of his pamphlet report Webster
says under head Of Township, School, Cor
uoraticn and Township Road Taxes" SIN
August, 1887 the aforesaid school, township,
corporation and road funds received $10S6.64
more than was collected for them."
Now to sum up the conclusion of this great
expert Webster: First, he finds $4172.0l more
money than collected; second he finds $1Os6.64
not accounted for, and third, on page 4, he
finds the identical amount of $10s6.64 ap-
nortioned to the various school, township and
corporation funds. a@
IL 10 be supposed that an eDpert would
first complete his examination and then
make his report But Webster was appoint
ed for the purpose of finding a shortage,
uhether there was one or not, and when the
reader of this eapert report leaves page with
a shortage Of $1Os6.64 in his mind, which the
great expert is unable to find, heEhas to labor
tbrouah 30 many figures on the next pages
before he gets to the explosion of this sup
posed shortage on page 4, that, If not close
studant. the impression OF a shortage may
stillbe in his mind and the object Of this
;urcling in figures consummated. Another
example Of expertness is found on page 8 of
the pamphlet. After stating that the net
amount Of undistributed old personal taxes
was S6254. 90 Mr.. Webster proceeds as fol-
lows. II ind by appealing to the records that
from Sep. 9TH, 1886, TO February, 1885, gthere
WAS certified into county treasury and
charged to the county fnnd the sum Of
S54e3. .ss of old delinquent personal tax, leay-
inc the sum of $79O.12 collected yet unac-
counted for I now 60 back to charges on
fund book Of August collection and amonnt
certified into treasury in 1886. At this time
Won will remember the county fund was in
creased $2S69.S 81, also, / made mention oflthe
amount reported in commissioner report OF
S3956. 81 showing that one or the other OF
these entries was false. I also find the an-
ditcr's balance sheet for.S Sep. Let. 1886, which
again charges the fund with the aforesaid
sum Of ss956.5t. Taking thelast amount as
correct and there has been charged to the
county fund Of old delinquent personals
Sss6.52 more than the delinquent personal
records show was collected and can only ac!
couns for 10 in the following way. &C.. &C."
Here Mr.. Webster arrives first at shortage
Of s79O.12, as usual, and then winds up with
a surplus of $296.52 for which he cannot 60
count This is an expert report costing the
county $443.50. Isl it worth its cost pit5t33 7
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