Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-08-22
COUNTY PRINTING CORRECT.
COMMISSIONER KOEPKE GIVES
A CLEAR STATEMENT.
The Reflector Was Entirely Correct
in Its Work and Bills-The True
Animus Of the Combines Game Is
Shown-Experts Examine Work.


Personally, care nothing about
the many false and malicious accusa-
tions which have been made against
the honesty and integrity Of the indi-
vidual members Of the board Of
county commissioners, but since
there has been such an uproarious
noise made about the county print
ing, ldeem it due to the taxpayers Of
the county and Of my district in par
ticular that the facts in relation to
this matter should be known and
that the true animus Of a few disap-
pointed editors may be understood.
My first term as county commits
sioner began in January 1891. The
week before | took the office the
county printing was let at full legal
rates by the old board by mutual
agreement between the commission
ers and the several papers in Abilene
The following arrangement as to the
work and pay was entered into: The
REFLECTOR was designated as the off
cial paper and to publish all county
printing in both weekly and daily,
and each of the other papers was to
do the printing and the pay was to be
distributed as follows: To the Re-
rLEcToR 40 per cent, to the News 20
per cent, to the Monitor 20 per cent
and to the Chronicle 20 per cent.
The News, Monitor and Chronicle
published the news in the same form
and type as the REFLECTOR, and each
received its 20 per cent of all money
paid by the county during that year
for county printing, without any pro-
test or claim that there was anything
illegal in the matter. The form and
manner of setting the type was cx-
actly as was being done by the Re-
FLEcrOR, and about wnitn these
three papers are now making so much
noise.
In 1892 the county printing was
again let at full legal rates. and by al
similar agreement as in 1891, the
REFLECTOR was designated as the
official paper and was to receive 90
per cent of legal rates, the Monitor
% per cent and the News % per cent.
And again in 1898 the same contract
was made. The News and the Moni-
tor during the years 1891, 1892 and
1898 published the county printing
in exactly the same type and style as
the REFLECTOR and each drew its reg
ular share of the money from the
treasury for doing the same, without
intimating that there was anything
illegal in the matter Of setting the
type.
In january 1891, the printing was
again let at legal rates and under the
following agreement: The REFLEc-
TOR was to be the official paper and
receive 335 per cent, the Monitor lGS
per cent, the News 16s per cent, the
Dispatch 16i per cent, and the
Chronicle 16a per cent. The Chroni-
Gle, News and Monitor were under the
same idential editorial management
rs they are now. They published all
the county printing for that year un-
Ter the agreement above stated, and
zach paper drew its share from the
county treasury under the agreement.
Each paper published the county
in exactly the same form and
,ype as the REFLECTOR, and at no
jime did one Of these editors ever
intimate to the county commissioners
hat they were unlawfully drawing
money from the people. Yet the
printing was then being done, and
hese same parties were drawing pay
or it, in just the same manner as is
,eing done now.
Last January the commissioners
ook into consideration the extreme
lard times, caused by the repeated
allure Of crops in the county, and re- I
iolved to economize in county ex-
)enses wherever IL was possible. In
tead Of letting the county printing
It full legal rates and having it pub
ished in all the papers they decided
o let it to one paper at greatly re-
luced rate, and it was let to the
REFLECTOR at 40 per cent OF legal
'ates, at a saving to the county for
he year Of 60 per cent Of the old
'ates, and in an amount OF over
1000. The printing has been done
Turing the present year in exactly the
'ame form, type and mannerin which
he News, Monitor and Chronicle did
i and received pay for 1t in 1884 II
i is illegal in 1895 it was likewise
Illegal in 1894, and these editors
Knew il then as they know it now. AS
nno as thpv were getting q share OF