The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-10-13
REED AND HIS OFFICE.
why Is He Provided With Quarters
In the Court H0usep
aAS HE THE INDEX BuOKsp
II He Hasn't Where Are They and why
DO Not the Commissioners Find Out
the Facts Are They All In
with the Court House

The statement In Thursdays News
Democrat that Joe Reed, ex-county
recorder, had an office In the court house
and was still transacting business of some
sort, caused surprise In some oirlces and
the further statement that the county
stands pretty good chance to be looted
out Of about $40, 900 on that new index
system caused some CONSERVATION among
taxpayers. In the first place, the ques-
tion naturally presents itself: What
business has Joe Reed or anyone else,
who is not county official, with an
office in the court houseN Charlie
Dougherty is recorder now, and Reed
holds no public office, yet he has one that
has not been thrown open to the public,
ever court room No. 1. 1t Is oOnflde ntly
asserted that he is going to insist ON his
contract with the county commissioners,
Crawford, Summer and John ston, to
carry into effect new system of index
ing that will cost the county an immense
sum of money. The commissioners gave
Reed the contract some months ago, but
have since said the project has been
dropped. If 1t has and they are not
party to the scheme, why is Reed in that
office over the court room, paying no rent
to the county and burning county. fuel
and county light9 sOne Of the commits
sioners says that the commissioners
were not aware that Reed had an Office in
the court house. If they were not, why
wern't theyP Are they not the GUS
todians of the propertyS Did anyone ever
hear of somebody having an office in one
of the big office buildings Of t1is city
without the owner knowing anything
about it, If they did not know it they
know now. Will they put him outS
Will they collect rsnt' Will they give
someone else chance to rent office room
in the buildingH What set Of business
fellows compose the board of commits
sioners of the county
Commissioner Crawford, who wants
to be reelected this fall, said to News
Democrat reporter some weeks ago that
he knew that contract was not legal. If
that is true, why did he sign itP Is he
In the habit of signing illegal contracts?
If SO, woul 1t not be good idea to put
man In his place who has not become
addicted to that dangerous practioeH
Commissioners Crawford offered at that
time the excuse that he Just signed the
contract to please the other fellows" I"
He knew, he says, that 1t was illegal,
but if the other fellows wanted 1t of
course the little matter of illegally looting
the county treasury to the extent of S40,-
900 ought not to be taken into account.
Then Crawford says he signed 1t because
he knew it was no good, for 1T had not
been placed on the minutes. Is he In
the habit of allowing matters to pass and
making big contracts involving public
expenditures because no mInute Is made
of thsmp Doesn't 1t ocodr to the average
voter that Crawford is a good fellow to
retire TO private lifeH
Joe Reed says that he is proving the
indexing ana copying of some plats.
just how much Of a job that would be
does not appear, but II it is Legitimate
why did ms not go to the commissioners
and Get permission to use room for an
Officer "A Why so much subterfugeP 1t Is
ClaiLneu UuhU NO mas uHb cOlltOblOu OF
horseshoes on hand in his office, the pro-
duct of q company in which he is interes-
ted. Could he get all those In there
without the commissioners knowing itp
Are the taxpayers Of the county supposed
to furnish office room and set up in the
horse shoe business every fellow that gets
through conducting a county offioef
What are the ommissioners going to
do about itP Why is Joe Reed given
pri gileges that are denied others, for no
one is foolish enough to believe that he
could be running an office there for week
without the commissioners getting at the
facts
Is 1t because he Is a convenient fellow
to have around when there is q treasury
looting scheme to be worked'
They know he is there and they know
pretty we'll why he is there. They know
or ought to know, whether those index
ing books, for which they contracted, have