The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-10-13

No $4,000 Contract Made for County
Records.
So Say the Commissioners.
The Promoter Of New Plan for Record
ing and Indexing was in the City
Seeking a Contrao', but He Did Not
Secure 1t.
Then the Repository proceeded to
throw cold water on the "idle rumor"
in the foil owing manner;
The system was examined by the COM
missioners ana Is gave rise to the story
that the books had been purchased and
that the commission era had employed
Recorder Reed to make the transfer of
the records ami do the necessary index
ing. The story carried with it that the
purchase Of the books and the work Of
transferring and indexing the records
would incur an expense to the county
of about $40, 900. A reporter asked the
commissioners concerning the story.
Both commissioners Summer and CrAw-
ford said that no such contract had been
made and that there were no grounds Tor
the story in circulation. "You can say
for u.s." Sid the commissioners, that
no person has secured from us any con-
tract for any special books, or that we
have not employed Recorder Reed or any
one else to make a record or do any In
dexing."
But the News. Democrat was not
engaged in the whitewash business and
was determined to see that II anyone was
robbing the county that the public be In.
formed. Commissioner Summer stated
that no illegal contract had been made
He did not say that . contract Of some
kind had not been made. Commissioner
johnson did not deny that contract had
been made, but insisted that nothing
would be carried out. Commissioner
Crawford was next seen and he gave tht
whole thing away. Here Is the report o.
1
his interview as printed in the News
democrat of June "a, 1898. Mr. Craw
ford has read it and to this day has no
deuied the correctness of the interview
as pu blished:
| Commissioner Crawford was muc'
| tal hn w
porter approached him. He freel!
acknowledged that such a contract was II
existence and that it was signed by al
the commissioners.
"See the other fellows about it" salt
be- "They know more about 1t than
do"
But you signed the contract did yoV
not, Mr.. CrawfordP"
"Ob, yes; slgnsd 1t. The thing wa
in my plgeonhOle her5 for couple q
DAYS aud had not wanted TO have any
thing to do with 1t. The other fellow
wanted to have me sign 1t, and L In
tended to take counsel about 1t but
Just signed it. just thought well lie
the thing go and signed 1t and that va
all there was Of it,"
SIS the work then to go oDr
"The contract is not legal in M
opinion" said Mr.. Crawford. s. ;;
"What about 1t is there that is nc
legalS"
"There was no money in the fund q
the time 1t was made" he ans Eeret
"Besides i do not think contract is legf
that does not appear on the minutes {
the boards proceedings"
"Then the contract was not spread o
the minutes { f the boardP"
"Now you see these other fellows.
don't know as much about this thing O
they do. They can tell you all about it,
And now this same fine set of CON
missioners come forward months afte
the transaction and weeks aftor the book
have been delivered and an Office set u
in the court house by Joe Reed for tb
purpose cf carrying out the contrac
which Crawford says all the commits
sloners signed and by resolution an
whereas say that the National Inde
Co. claims to hold contract with tn
commissioner" and that Joseph A. Rec
"olaims to hold contract" ETC. Tn
commissioners know that the Index CON
pany and Joe Reed had contracts. TIL
commissioners seem to think the peopl
are set of ohumps and that all that
necessary Is to whereas and the thin
will stop, They think they can pok
such chaff down the throats of the pee
pie. The people have decided to pu
somebody In office that has the nerve /
make a complaint when treasury lootin
schemes are on foot and not wait unit
|, contract has been signed and the wor
commenced before mildly whereasing ths
1t is all a mistake,