Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-07-08
THE ORGANS YAwp.

the Republican nominees for county
Offices, has undertaken to defend the
corruption unoarthed in the sheriff.
office under the Boyd regime. The
question has been decided and the
load will be shouldered and upon this
issue at least four Of the ticket, ac-
cording TO the american, will go
to the people. Upon its front page
the smiling features Of A. H. Ander-
son, Young John Feland, Jno. p.
Prowse and John Boyd appear, la
beled underneath "United We Stand"
Upon the same platform Of but one
very rotten plank these four lend
men" are to stand and when it is all
over it will be found that this united
quartette in defeat was not divided.
Let it so be understood. TheAmericdn's
article defending Mr.. Boyd is unjust
TO Mr.. Brown. That gentleman is
left in the hands of the Philistines.
Not one word Of denial, not one at
tempt TO rescue him from the infa-
nous charge of official dishonesty. 1t
must be remarked that the American
does not deny the main facts in the
case. 1t could not without stultify-
ing itself. What the KENrucKIAN has
published is true and when it has
called spade a spade it has done so
because the fact, warranted the plain
est language. The pitiable plea that
the charge Of stealing, made and
proven, was for campaign purposes
and "a villainous falsehood" will not
stand upon a mere assertion. Prove
it if you can.
Half Of the Americans article is
made up of this sort Of stuff and is
too silly to notice. It's abuse of the
Democratic party is not argument,
nor will it be taken as evidence in
either the civil or criminal courts.
One statement, however, is made
that attracts attention. 1t is asserted
that "Mr. Brown had complete
charge of the books and of the Office
under John Boyd and is responsible
for any errors that may have been
made" This was sisted as coming
from Mr.. Brown, coupled with an
expressed willingness to disgorge. A
few paragraphs further on the Ameri-
can declares that the books were
withheld from the Auditors agent
because Gin the absence of Mr.. Boyd
no one had authority to deliver them
up" Did anybody ever hear such in
consistency They were not Mr..
Boyd's books. He had nothing to
do with them, and yet he alone could
give them up to the State official for in
vestigation. Why should he even be
il he had no knowledge Of
their contents and was not RESPONSE
BILE for the peculations brought to
light No sensible man should be
expected to believe such contradictory |
nonsense. This is the line of defense
and the plea is to be the ignorance
of Mr.. Boyd. We are to be told that
he remained for six years in the same
Office, four years of that time charged
with the entire legal responsibility
under his official bond for the proper
conduct of his Office, and yet never
found out that thousands Of dollars
were annually being added to IL q
profits OF his Office. It is known that
he frequently wrote tax receipts and
it is stated by the Auditors agent
that he listed some Of the property in
his own handwriting which was never
reported and the taxes upon some of
these lists now make upa part of his
5000 shortage to the State and
So much for this part of
this very lame defense.
The only other point worth noticing
is the Anne leans reference to the tam
pering with Sheriff Vests books oflSS9
BY the same expert penman who had
,een manipulating figures for some
vears back. Mr.. o. S. Brown has the
equation of being a very accurate
opyist and when Sheriff West took
barge OF the Office in 1889 he en-
'loyed him to copy the assessors
looks for him. This work was done
~ Mr.. Brown and he was paid $50
or it and Mr.. West holds his receipt.
t may have been from force of habit,
" it may have been designedly and
or an evil purpose, but Mr.. Brown
deliberately lowered the assessments o
d certain taxpayers and raised those l
,f others. For instance, the list of b
Slr. Polk Canister was reduced $1,000 "
md this reduction was offset by in J.
,reases of 500 each ON Messrs. f. w. 4
Dabney, j. NJ. Clark, j. F. Garnett, t
Mrs. e. @. Cant, Mrs. j. G. Latham
md others. The total increases |
mounted to about $50 and the re- s
luctions to about the same, so that t
'fr. West was given no opportunity t
0 profit by this contemplate treach- ]
ry if he had been SO disposed. Mr..
Vest is qualified for the office he fills v
nd with his business methods soon l
elected that his records had been
ilsified and promptly overhauled J
iem, corrected all errors and re-
inded the excess to those who had t
READY paid. This is true state