Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-05-14
HINSDALE, N. Il.
Out of the Voters Pockets.

Covers the Cost OF the Law aud Order
Leagues Liquor Prosecutions.
The Hinsdale correspondent of the
springfield Republican has this to saw in
regard to the disposal of liquor fines in
Cheshire county imposed at the instinct of
the Law and Order league:
LAS an illustration of the fact that
county affairs in New Hampshire are in a
sad condition an account of the way busi-
ness is done in Cheshire county, as regards
the disposition of liquor fines imposed at
the instigation of the Law and Order
league, is Illuminating. Nearly all these
cases are brought for trial before the police
court at Keene. 1t is matter of common
report that eX-Gov. Goodell enters his COM
plants preferably before this tribunal and
allows his half of the fines as complainant
to 20 into the city treasury, after deduct
ing personal expenses. The town of Wal
pole secured the appointment of police
justice so that cases might be tried there,
but the league swears by Keene.
ITO show what proportion the county re-
ceives of these fines it Is only necessary to
go to the report of the Cheshire county
commissioners for 1896 1t is there stated
that the county received in fines $3.50 and
paid in court orders for the prosecution of
these cases $4,000. The financial report of
the city of Keene reports $3052 as paid in
to the city treasury, large proportion of
it fines paid by parties in the various towns
in the county who had violated the prohi-
bition laws and been prosecuted by the
league. The question voters are asking is,
how is 1t that the county has paid 5000 in
court costs, and has only $3.50 to show for
it, while Keene gets $3052 in fines, more
than enough to liqudate her city pauper
bill? This absorption process has greatly
increased in the last six years. For exam
pie, in 1891 the county paid court orders to
the amount of S515 and received SOL in
fines. In 1892, 1926, and received $503
in 1894, 1854, received S744; in 1895,
$1165, and received 1922. 1t will be OBJ
served that this absorption process reached
high water mark in 1896.
Certainly large proportion of these
sums are fines received and expenses in.
Cured in the suppression of the liquor
traffic. Even if such state of things is in
harmony with existing laws, it surely is
opposed to right and justice. There is
something rotten in Denmark, when
Cheshire county in 1896 pays $1,000 in
court orders and has only $3.50 to show fol-
it, while the only city in the county "sats
down" S3052. No one questions the in
tegrity of the county commissioners; they
have no discretion in the matter, and
while they may know that such state OF
things is unfair and unjust to other towns
in the county, they are powerless to remedy
the evil, and even prominent citizens in
Keene admit that the whole business i:
wrong. Doubtless certain proportion Of
those courts Icosts belong legitimately tC
the county to pay, but it is patent to every.
body that Keene has gobbled up the lion:
share of the fines and the voters in tn,
county pay the cost There is reason tC
believe that a similar condition of affairs
obtains in other counties in New Hamp
shire, and that the bulk of the fines paiC
on account of prosecutions of the Law and
Order league, go into the treasures of the
shire towns or cities, while the court cost
come out of the voters pockets