The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-08-27
RUSTICUS SCORES -FANTINE.
WHY THE SALARY OF THE REaIsyRA.
TON OFFICER WAS REDUCED.
Eastisus Wants to Know on wha. Basis
kr. 5arco Drew His Present Salary.
Claims There were not More than 100
Votes Cast at the Last Election.


Fantine, who is supposed to be near
kinsman of Mr.. d. NJ. Barco, related
TO the latter gentleman either by affin-
ity or consanguinity, and maybe both,
and certainly connected by similar
political feelings, writes to you, and
mistakes to criticise our county COM
missioners for their recent action in
reducing our county expenses at the
expense of Mr.. Barco. If Mr.. Fam
tine know The facts in the case, as
they have been given to me, suspect
he would have kept mum in regard to
this matter.
But to start back a little; what right
has Fantine or any other Goldbug.
Palmer Bucknerite and in reality Me.
kinleyite, to question the right of a
democratic body like our county COM
missioners to set the salaries of its Of
iicials, or to attend to any other busi-
ness that is within its legitimate line
when he Fantine) opposed the or.
ganized democracy in our last cam
PaiPn? He has neither part nor par
/ GELS in its councils and It behooyes
/ him to keep hands off, till his little
coterie of friends, such as Geo. w.
/ Wilson, Papa, Bittinger, Mellon and
I Porter, and other kindred spirits, can
/ disrupt the Bryan silver democracy
of Marion county and step into power.
Then, Mr.. Fantine might be able to
become a county commissioner and
take care of his friends and relatives
at the expense Of the county, with
good salaries, for very small services.
Our county commissioners, / am salts
fed, are looking to the general inter-
est Of our county, and l don't think
will have any pets to retain in nor put
into good soft places at the expense of
the county, these hard times.
Now, for Mr.. d. NJ. Barco. who was
nominated by the democratic execu-
tive committee year ago and request
made the governor OF our state to ap-
point Mr.. Barco supervisor of regis
tration for Marion county. This re-
quest of the silver democracy of the
county was sanctioned by the governor
aud appointment made.
How does Mr.. BarcO repay The de- |
mocracy for giving him this office? |
Listen! The very first lime he has an
opportunity to stab the democracy and
his benefactor he does 50, by giving |
sworn evidence IN favor OF the gold |
Bug Republican DisruptiOnist Party |
Il Go. sheet, the Star, in opposition to |
the regular chosen servants of the dem |
Ocratic executive committee. What !
does the public think of this WON
drous gratitude from Mr.. Barco to the |
democratic party. Let's look now at |
the non-political action of the county |
commissioners in fixing the salary of |
Mr. Barco for balance of his term. |
The salaries of supervisors of regis
tratiOn in the state was fixed by ]
statutes up to 1895 as follows: Where |
there were 1000 and upward of regis
tered voters in a county, the salary |
was S250.00 per annum; from . to 1000 |
registered voters, salary was $l75.0O |
and for less than 1000 voters salary |
should be Sl25 per annum.
The legislature of 1895 changed the
fixed salaries of supervisors of regis
tratiou and now leaves the matter of
salary with the county commissioners. |
by some oversight of former board of
county commissioners Mr.. BarcO's |
salary was fixed to comply with the
law of 1895 but was suffered to run
along till last meeting of commits
sioners. If any action of former
board of county commissioners was
ever taken on Mr.. Barco's salary l
learn that no record of such action
can be found in proceedings of board
at any time, so suppose no action was
ever taken.
Mr.. Barco has been drawing a SAL
airy for past several years under the
laws that existed prior to 1895 on a
basis of 1000 or over registered voters.
Who would have supposed that less
according to Mr.. Barco's salary than
one half of the registered voters of
the county voted at our last general
election? I believe less than 1900 |
votes were cast at either our October
or November elections. Where are
all these other voters in the county to
make up the 1900 upon WHICH Mr.. |
Barco has been drawing q salary of
$4,000 for two years for an actual SER
vice of about three (3) months in the
two years.
1t must be remembered that the /
work that Mr.. Barco has done in way |
of whiskey and other petitions, he has
received extra compensation for, out
side of his regular salary. The quest
ion is then in this shape. First, if the
laws prior to 1895 were still in exist
ence could Mr.. BarcO legally have
drawn a salary of $3.50 per annum, up ,
on a basis of 1000 registered voters, in |
other words are there now 1000 regis |
tered voters In Marion county?
Second, as the law that fixed the sal
airy upon the above basis was abolish
ed in 1895, has not Mr.. Barco drawn
an illegal salary ever since? L sup
pose the justice and legality of snch
salary as has been drawn by Mr.. Bar
co for the past several years, our coun-
ty commissioners can not act upon,
bat have acted and adjusted the mat
ter for the balance of Mr.. Bsrco's
term of office and will have to leave |
Mr., Barco's action of the past In the
hands of the grand jury.
"RusTIcUs."
Fall hats, in the latest fad, al ). ).
Fuller's. !