The Lamar register., 1901-10-30
"The taxes in this county
Qevied by a Democratic
Board Of Commissioners
have become burdensome
to the farmers -. F. Men
denhalps Paradox speech.

more he has charge OF the distribu-
tion of the money. The taxes in
this county have become burdensome
to the farmers. Our road work alone
would amount to from ten to eleven
thousand dollars I do not think
that there is a man in this county
could point to where it has gone. 1
have been over this county great
deal and ! can not detect it. 1 would
like to know what became of it. 1
don't think that either a Pinkerton
or Scotland Yard detective could
find it."
1t is only necessary for the voters
to remember that during seven of
the past eight years we have had a
democratic majority on the board of
county commissioners to see the full
foice Of the sweeping denunciation
of his own party associates by Mr..
Mendenhall. If taxes are burden
some remember that the present re.
publican board has had no opportun-
ity 10 make levy yet, and all tie
levies and the expenditures, which
have caused those levies, have been
made by the democratic party. That
party had complete charge of the
county government for seven years
and if there was waste and extrava-
gance they were entirele responsible.
The levy of taxes which our citizens
are paying now was made by the
democratic board of commissioners
last fall and was what they deemed
necessary for the carrying on of the
comfy government. If it is burden
some Mr.. Mendenhalrs own party
has the sole responsibility, and he
should have advised the people not
to trust his party again.
As to the road fund which Mr..
Mendenhall especially mentions, be
has the figures down about correct
on his party associates. The demo
cratic boards have been levying shout
ten to eleven Thousand dollars, as be
says, for road purposes, and for se-en
years the money was handled entirely
by democratic overseers. When the
republican board of commissioners
took charge last spring they found
the usual levy of about $4,000 for
them, but charged up against it was
the overdrafts Of the former admin
istIation amounting in all to $500.
Even il the taxes were paid in full,
which they never are, this would
leave balance of only $500 for the
present administration unless they
did as their predecessors and over
drew the accounts. The republican
board Immediately notified its ap-
pointees for road overseers that they
must keep within the appropriation,
and this has been done to such an
extent that each Of the road district
funds but one is now on the cash
basis and that one will be before the
year is completed. From this it is
easy to see that the present board
has spent much less money on the
roads than any of its predecessors.
and that the extravaganza which Mr..
Mendenhall claims to have discover
ed, must be charged to his own par
ty. The republican board is certain
ly to be commended for insisting on
keeping expenditures down to point
that will put the road funds on a
cash basis. We would suggest to
Mr.. Mendenhall that instead of en-
ploying Pinkertons he might refer the
matter to those stalwsrt democratic
citizens, Messrs. Ford. Frlsbie, Bald
win, Burke and Davidson. They
have handled large portion of the
road fund in this section of the conn
ty, and they certainly have a large
number of friends here who are Ioath
to believe the charges which their
candidate for commissioner has made
against them. The Register believes
in fair play and will say for them
that the money was at least as well
spent as it would be in building
bridges promiscuously.
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