Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-11-01
Aud. ReSh on the Stump
Dealing Out Facts and Figures
Which are Opening the Eyes
of Many.

CdTelul pei uSeAi'
J.nrrs AND GENrLEMEN:-I am glad to
meet you this evening, and l am agr6 eabiy
surprised 10 see so many present and also
TO see the attention paid to my friend VINO
has preceded me in speaking 10 you this
evening.
will say to you that, as am ldentlhed
NTH the financial interests of this county, |
will confipe my remarks chiefly to the con-
ditjon of the county in that respect. l feel
that the interests of the tax x-payers OF henry
connty are more especially concerned IN
county taxation and the amount OF money
that they are required to pay into the treas
ury at each semi annual OF yearly payneu'
as they may choose.
viii saw that on the 14th day of Septem-
har 1891 I took charge of the Auditors
office in Napoleon, Ohio. in consequence OF
having been elected by the majority OF the
votes of the people to fill that ONCE. Ana IL
has been my chief aim to discharge the
duties of that office IN the interest VI the 'aA
PAYERS of the county.
have long been impressed with the adage
that Anger gances into the breast OF a
wise man but remains only IN the bosom or
a fool :, therefore shall try to be courteous
TO Won, would take very great delight IN
deliyeripr an address to you as understand
the situation to be on National hnances or
on the currency question if you please; put
INV remarks TO the management of the al
fairs of the county since have been honor
ed nv vour votes to represent you at the
connfv seat at Napoleon as Auditor; but be-
fore | can understaIdinGly address you, 1t
. will be necessary Tor me TO state the con
dition of affairs before entered the othce,
and before / do that, wish TO say that per
hans Won have reflected that you have dele
natad vonr mower to pay the bonded and
1nhonded debt of Henry county to other
neonle whom YOU elect to represent your
interests.
IF you have mortgage on your farm, and
YOU neglect to pay the interest or principal
and you suffer the consequence, you nave
no one to blame or fault but yourself. But
when you delegate your power TO otherS 10
nav that bonded and Unbonded debt OF the
county Tor the payment which your farm
and personal property are held and firmly
bound. tn u you delegate very important
poWer to some one else.
There pre five officers in every county
that are more directly concerned IN the COL
lection and disbursement OF your money
than all others: viz. three Commissioners,
the Auditor aud the Treasurer. L want TO
saw that since have been Auditor of Henry
county, have tried to discharge my duty
not in the interest of one party or any party
but in the interest of every person that mas
paid taxes in the county.
lam not here to censure or condemn any
officer that has proceeded me that you have
houored as we'll as myself. l am not here
for that purpose. l do not wish any one
here to take advantage what may say
and construe it into any shade of meaning
that would cast a reflection upon any officer,
7 simply state what the affairs were when
came to the county seat.
Men are not all equally qualified to sue
coed in business. Take two men with equal
advantages: one may go on and make money
and increase that money by wise investment
and become wealthy; the other equally as
GOOD and equally honorable may fail to dc
that and even fail in business. Now you
have these very conditions to meet in elect.
ing officers. 1t don't make any difference
what party you have preference for, you
want in Henry county officers that are
qualified to manage your affairs in such g
way that will insure the payment of this
debt with the least amount of money pos
sible.
When first took charge of the Auditors
Office in Henry county. the bonded debt
amounted to SIG 0C0. This bonded debt
consisted of one block of bonds of $4,000
There was another block of $30000; another
of Sl0OO0O making in all $l6500O.
In addition to that Sl6oOO0, found when
came into the Office, an unbonded debt OF
S49699 03. also found when J. came into
I
lst, 1891, there was in the treasury of Henry
county cash for all purposes, Sl1G04 .O5.
also found that S350O0 of this bonded debt
was due IN eighteen months in the city oi
New York to be paid at the First National
Bank in that city.
I also found unallowed bills in the Com.
mlssiouer's Office amounting to over $1,000 tc
be paid out of the county bridge and build
ing funds and held for want of money tc
pay said bills. But when the time came
that this obligation of $35000 had to be met
the Commissioners and myself consulted
what was best to do, and as we had nc
money, and no means to get money on ac
count of this unbonded Indebtedness being
in the way, we bonded the county, or rather
we rebonded the county on the installment
pIan. This $35000 had been running twelve
years at per cent. interest, brokerage one.
half per cent. on interest payable semi-an
nually in New York.
We bonded the county for $25005 and thi:
Indebtedness to be paid IN seven years
$1,000 each year at ) per cent. For the last
seven years that this debt was carried before
we rebonded it, the people of Henry county
paid interest $12250, brokerage on interest
S61.25, brokerage on principal when paG
Jan. 1st, 1893, $40 25, principal $4,000, total
S47354. so. It will cost the Taxpayers as
now bonded interest $1,000, principal S35000
total $4,000; a saving to the taxpayers In
favor of the payment by installmept o1
S5354 50 on this $4,000 alone and | will say
that five of these bonds have been paid, anC
We now owe $4,000. The first day of next
January five more OF these bonds Will ot
paid leaving then $2500 At the end of five
more years that indebtedness will be paic
at a saving of $5354 so to the people as be
fore stated. The Commissioners have also
called in and paid twenty bonds of $1O0t
each. These bonds are per cent. bond
and they consisting of 100000 were refund
ed or rebonded July 1st, 1890, and signet
and sealed by my worthy predecessor, re
deemable in ten years from date of issu,
and due in fifteen years from date and b.
calling them in and paying them before due
the tax payers of Henry county have beer
saved from the payment of $S244,66 unnec
essary interest, and we intend to call in ant
pay not less than twenty of these bonds o
$1,000 each, every year so that in six year
from January LIST, 1885, Henry county will
not owe one dollar of bonded debt. I an
speaking about the bonded debt for whlcl
the county at large is held and not tn
special bonded debt which is cared for will
the same watchfulness and diligence as il
the regular bonded debt and every dolla
that has been collected for that purpose il
credited to the proper fund, and the calling
in aud payment of Ridgeville Pike bond
is evidence that every township that has i'm
proved roads is held for its own debt.
The Auditor of county carrying heav.
and complex bonded debt is more directl!
responsible for its wise and judicious man
agement than all other officers combined TO
the reason that he is more directly and init
mately connected with all its various fnan
cial interests and urgent needs, and there
fore all bonds issued should be paid in in
stallments and in no other way. If thest
thirty bonds of $1,000 each that were issnec
April 1st, 1889, just seven months after my
worthy predecessor assumed the duties O.
Auditor, had been issued to be paid in in
stallments of $4,000 each year at rer cent
to run six years instead OF fifteen years