Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-10-22
In 1891, the Legislature of this
slate passed a law authorizing each

slate passed a law authorizing each
rounty officer TO buy the necessary
supplies fol his own office. IL had
been found out from experience IN
rlljs state that when one oflcef,
usually the auditor, or the board OF
commissioners. bought all the sup
niles for the entire county. there
was an inclination on the part
Of those officers to put up loo
with me supply houses for the
.srake of" those supply houses
would give them. The legislature
Of 1891 rightly thought that the
county would get a fairer deal II
each officer bought his own supplies
for then the different officers would
strive with each other to see who
could buy the cheapest and run ms
office the most economical. Yet III
the face of that law, the present
populist board Of county commits
sIoners we're seduced by j. F.kelley,
editor of The Day County Herald,
aud 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 Coun-
ty this fail, Frank Sears has ex
hjbited a certified copy of the con
tract between Kelley and the coun
ty commissioners, and "a great mum
Der of the bills of Kelley which
nave been allowed by the board of
commissioners under that contract,
showing that Kelley is charging
and the county is paying Kelley a
higher prlce 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 $l4 ; pencils,
pens, ink, envelopes, etc., how cost
so 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
er than three years ago. Kelley
and his friends claim that Sears
abuses Kelley and the commission
ers, but We do not look at it In that
light. Sears presents the certified
evidence of facts which Kelley aud
the commissioners cannot deny,
and they are FACTS whicn the people
of Day County should know, ard if
any one haas trel abused i is the
tax payers of Day County who have
been abused by the coumtg commits
siouers ana Kelley. This is the
gang, or a part OF the gang, who
have been abusing the pc pie of
Day County, and done it while
they were 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
Grehvllle 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 ; but Sears, knowing
he was on 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 same goods, and told Kel
ley to his face that he was robblnu
Day County, 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 p Kelley then
spoke. Knowing tina. Sears had
certified copies of the records which
he dare not deny in the face of an
intelligent audience, he admitted
thai he had made such a contract
with the county commissioners. and
that he was making so per cent. on
pencils, pens, and other articles
which he did not handle, and that
he was charging higher rate for
printing, books. and blanks than
the county would have to pay if it
bought the same articles elsewhere.
After admitting the contract and
In