Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-10-02
THE COUNTY PRINTER ISSUE.


for Barber county alone by the Iegisla,
ture last winter. The republicans have
nominated Otis Lorton, one of the pub.
Usher of the Medicine Lodge Cresset
and the Populists, Democrats and indie
pendent voters have nominated U. &.
Herr, one of the publishers of the Bar
Der County Index.
dis my desire that this contest shall
be conducted fairly without injecting
anylabuse or unclean methods into the
campaign, and hope that the parties
who have already resorted to falsehood
williyet change their tactics and come
out pm the side of truth regardless of
whom it may injure or benefit. 1t is
agreed among all parties that the re-
publican candidate wrote the bill which
is new special printer law in Barber
county. 1t is agreed that be made at
least one trip to Topeka in the interest
of that bill, and it is also agreed that
he is entitled to the credit for the bene-
fits the people may derive from the
new law. That being true, it cannot
be denied that he should be held re-
spon5 bible for the bad effects of the law.
In his defense of the new law, the re-
publican candidate makes several mis-
representations which cannot be allow
ed to go unchallenged. He says: "As
matter of fact, the law reduces the
old rate Is per cent and more" This
OF OF ic FOL Ha 4 A.
present legal rate of 25 and 10 cents for
publishing land tracts and town lots
sold for delinquent taxes. This is large
part of the county printing. For other
matter which ID published one week,
it allows rs per cent of the present lie.
gal rate. For matter which is published
two weeks or more, the new law allows
80 per cent OF the present legal rate.
SO it will be seen that the Cresset's
statefn ent is false. But that is not all.
AT present less than half of the matter
provided to be published under the new
law is not published. Under the new
arrangement all the proceedings of the
county commissioners will have to be
published. Now only list of county
warrants are pusbllhed after each
meeting. The treasurer's quarterly
statement and the commissioners an.
nual financial statement are also mat
tiers which are not now being publish
ed, but the printer is compelled to pub
lish them under the new law. There is
also purchasing agent clause added
to this new law which is extraordinary.
1t takes the matter of stationery, blank
DOCKS, legal blanks, ETC., out of the con-
troll OF the commissioners. Each coun.
ty officer is TO regulate such orders and
If the county printer works his graft in
good shape with the aid of the county
officers somebody will have a private
snap. THIS clause was probably added
on the theory that one county officer is
more easily worked" than three com.
missioners
1t has been said by parties who have
an interest in the success of the repub-
llcan candidate, that from 40 to 60 coun-
ties have the same law that Barber coun-
ty has. deny that statement and chal-
lenge the attention of the voters of this
county to the statute books. No other
county In the state has this law. Only
-FOUR counties elect a county printer,
but meme of them pay as high rates as
this new law prescrlbes. Two of these
counties pay 60 per cent of legal rates
Tor everything, without adding the
county purchasing agent clause. The
other county's rates are so per cent for
the same work for which this county is
topay IS and 80per cent. The republican
candidate says that certain Populists
and Democrats Of this county tried to
secure the passage of a special printer
law at the time the Harper county law
was passed. If that is true, L am in ip.
norante about 10. Mr.. LOTIONS infor-
NATION is the first upon that point that
haye had and so far / have been I'M
aole te learn who the "Popullsts and
democrats are, and he himself refuses
10 dlyulge the names. But even If that
were true, the people of Barber county
nave reason to wish they had the
Harper law instead of the one they now
have. One comparison Of the laws is
all that is necessary to convince any
reasonable man.
Another correction desire to make
In the beginning of this campaign
is relative to my opponents state
ment that the county printing un-
der the new law will amount to on
ly $50 more than it now costs the
county under the present 20 per cent
contract. The difference in the publ
cstion Of the delinquent tax list alone
is Sl2S.Sl. That is, the tax list was
published this year for $l2S. 81 less than
the same list would have cost if tue
new law had been in force. This is
saying nothing of the final tax notice in
the spring, the other matter to be pub
hshed under the new law, and the coun.
" purchasing agent clause. And If the
new law had been in force last year,
the extra cost would have been still
greater. expect Mr.. Lorton to defend
MS law, but have right to ask him
10 contine himself to the truth.
AS candidate shall ask for the
support of the voters of this county.
not on the merits of the law, but in op-