Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-10-22
In 1891, the Legislature OF th,s
nassed a law authorizing Fach

supplies for his own ollioe' -
been found out from experience IN
ms state tilat when enc o%flcef,
usually the auditor, or the board OF
commissioners. bought all the sup
niles for the entire county. enere
an inclination on the part
Of those officers to put up a Joo
With ,he supply houses Tor the
rake of" those supply houses
would Give them. The Legislature
Of 1891 rightly thought that the
would get a fairer deal II
each officer bought his own snppiies
for then the different officers wouia
strive with each other to see VINO
could buy the cheapest ana run ms
office the most economical. let III
The face of that law, the present
populist board of county commis-
s,onars we're seduced by J.F.kelley,
editor of The Day County Herald,
and wheedled into contract, uh
der which contract Day County
through its county commissioners
agreed to buy all COUNTY supplies
from Kelley and to not buy from
any other person, thus prohibiting
the different officers from purchas-
ing where they could purchase the
cheapest, in accordance with the
law.
In all his speeches in Day Gouh-
ty this fall, Frank Sears has ex
hibited a certified copy of the con.
tract between Kelley and the coun
~ commissioners, and II great mum
Der of the bills of Kelley which
have been allowed by the board If
commissioners under that contract,
showing that Kelley is charging
aud the county is paying Kelley a
hi gher price for county supplies
than the county paid for the same
goods two and three years ago.
Where the Reporter and Farmer
two and three years ago received
5 cents a line for printing, Kelley
is now getting 10 (; books that used
to cost $l2 now cost $14 ; pencils,
pens, ink, envelopes, etc., now cost
80 per cent. more than if bought
from the supply houses. Accord
ing to the cheapness of labor and
other things In Day County, the
county ought to have bought it's
supplies the last year much cheap
err than three years ago. Kelley
and his friends claim that Sears
abuses Kelley and the commission
ers, but We do not look at 1t IN that
light. Sears presents the certified
evidence of facts which Kelley and
the commissioners cannot deny,
and they are Iacts whIcn the people
of Day County should know, and If
any one haas breh abused i is the
tax payers Of Day County who have
bee, aaased by the county commits
s]loners aud Kelley. This IL the
gang, or IL part of the gang, who
have been abusing the pc pie Of
Day County, and done it while
they we're preaching reform.
Sears says not a word about the
private character Of Kelley, but
gives political facts in connection
with Kelley's dealings with the
county commissioners of Day Co.
About two weeks ago, Sears and
Kelley met at the same place in
Grehville township where both were
to speak. Sears spoke first. 1t
had come to the ears of Sears that
he dare not make the accusations
against Kelley TO his face about
this contract (; lut Sears, knowing
he was GA the right track, aud
armed with his certified copies from
the records of Day County, ex
hibited the contract and the bills
showing that Kelley was getting
higher prices than the county
would have TO pay anywhere else
for the SAM goods, and told Kel
ley to his face that he was robbng
Day Comfy, with the assistance OF
certain Of the county commission
ers. The whole populist gang
present set up the howl and yowl,
Just see how Sears abuses Kelley +;
1t is an awful shame !" Kelley then
spoke. Knowing that Sears had
certified copies of the records which
he dare rot deny in the face of an
intelligent audience, he admitted
thai he had made such a contract
with the county commissioners, and
that he vas making so per cent. on
pencils, pens, and other articles
which he did not handle, and that
he was charging a higher rate for
printing. BOOTS. and blanks than
the county would have to pay if it
bought tee same articles elsewhere.
After admitting the contract and
the higher price, Kelley went on to
explain why he wanted such a con-
tract with the county. He said .