The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-10-13
They CONFESS.
Commissioners State That Reed
Is Going Ahead
WITH THE INDEx SYSTEM.

cutOr to Get Them Out OF lrOuDie
Summer Offers Resolution.
An honest public Is about to get Its
dues. The county commissioners have
fallen out. Commissioner Summer had
some tthiug loded up his sleeve when he
@ me In this morning. He had heard,
through the medium of the News-Dem-
.ocrat that Joe Reed and the National
Index Company were about to carry out
a cont, act with the commissioners to
u nload u system of indexing on this
county that Is not needed and isexpensiVe
Z, the extent Ct $40, 900. He had signed
with the other, but he saw the public
Yves not favorably disposed to the plan
and got do out Of the wet. He offered the
foil, wing resolution.
whereas, The National Index Co., OF
Colunib ,s, Ohio, claims to, hold con-
tract with the commissioners Of Stark
county, Ohio, for furnishing the books
necessary for in iexing the records OF
said county, ard
Whereas, Joseph A. Reed claims to
hold contract with the commissioners
of said county tor the indexing OF the
records in the Office Of the recorder OF
said county, and
whereas, The said Joseph A. Reed,
unknown to us and contrary to our
orders, has fitted mp an office in the
court house of said county and is about
to begin the indexing of said Aforesaid
records, and
Whereas. Whatever rights the said
National Index Co., and the said Joseph
A. Reed may have to base such claim
upon where procured by gross misrepre-
sentatiou of the facts in the case, and
Whereas, In the opinion OF the COM
ssioners no contract ever did nor
does now exist with The National Index
Co., or the aaid Joseph A. Reed,
Therefore Be 1t Resolved, BY the
commissioners Of Stark county, Ohio, In
regular session assembled that we here
by instruct, direct and empower the
prosecuting attorney of said county inn
mediately to begin such legal proceed
ings as are necessary to prevent the
aforesaid parties from going forward
with said indexing or incurring any
liability for which the county may be
held, and from occupying any part ol
the court house or using any OF the
books or other property belonging to
the county.
The resolution was put to a vote
Summer moved that it be adopted ant
johnson seconded the motion. On the
vote Crawford and Summer voted aye
and John son no. 1t Was sad forenoon
for Mr.. Crawford. He had been in the
habit, according to his own statement
of doing what "the other fellows" want
ed him to do, ana now the other fellow
were divided he had to take some actor
on some plan or another. He voted II
favor Of the resolution. Whether he dit
it because it is illegal is not known. II
was about an illegal matter, and 1t II
difficult to see how Crawford's vote oil
one illegal mat er makes his vote on tn
other legal. If the contract with tn
index company is not good, why Iescint
itP Crawford Us that the contract J
not legal because it was not on tn
minutes. Is the resembling resolution ol
the minutesV Some time after 1t hat
been pas sed Audi or, Reed knew nothing
about it. The law says on this point;
Section 1921, R. s. o.-"The auditor
by virtue of his Office, shall be the secre
tary of the county commissioner excep
as otherwise provided by law; he shal
keep an accurate record of all their pro
ceedings and shall carefully preserve al
documents, books, records, maps ant
papers required to be deposited and KEEP
In his Office"
The auditor did not record anything
about this transaction nor about the con
trac5 that called it forth. STILL JoC
Reed has contract With the county tC
do that indexing, and the $40,0 900 goe
with 1t. II the prosecutor acts on tn
authority that Commissioners Summer ha
placed In his hand, the county will hay
a long law suit on hand and long bill o
costs. Besides, it is not seen how tn
courts can interiors with the carrying
out of contract duly slnged Som
bluff may bs made at it, bat it vii
be for political effect. The county will
lose $40, 900 as the case now stands, an
that Is the way it will stand after eleC
tion. Joe Reed and the court house gan
are not going to surrender so easily.
Reed went up to his office this mornin
ON the elevator furnished by the county
A News Democrat man accompanied
him. Ths door leading to the entire win
of the court house, on the third floor
was looked but Joe had the key. II