The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-04-02
ILLEGAL ACTION ADMITTED.

Sheriff was overpa:d in 1902, was Who'll
ly and entirely illegal-This admission
proves the REVIEWS first contention
that the board is careless, slip-shod and
upbusinesslike in its methods, and pays
but little attention to the laws of the
state of Iowa. All this is practically
admitted with forced candor, Itcomes
hard. but it has to be admitted,
The Bulletin mex. attempts to belittle
the matter by calling it a three cent"
affair. The REVIEW gave the figures
TO prove that this Illegal action cost the
county not less than $4,000. Can the
Bulletin refute these figures or will it
have the further honestyto admit
them?
The fact that the law may or may not
be opeyed in other counties has abso-
lutely nothing to do with Crawford
county and cannot properly enter into
the discussion. All we can say is that
if the Bulletin were published in these
counties the illegal appropriations
might go on till Doomsday without its
saying word, if it only got the county
printing.
In its defense the Bulletin states "As
to the claim that the board and sheriff
refuse to make the matter right: This
is absolutely false"
No such claim has eyer been made
by the REVIEW at any time. In the
first article, mentioning this matter
the REVIEW stated. plainly and explic-
lilly that"Sheriff Bell states that he
stands ready to pay this money back
whenever it is demanded of him" The
REVIEW at no time has stated or claim
ed that the board or Sheriff refused to
make the matter right. With these
facts in mind the Bulletin buster about
the poor abused board and Sheriff falls
very fat
The REVIEW made the following
Statement of facts
That in January 1902 the board of
supervisors passed an illegal resolution
under kss4Ich Sheriff Bell received more
than $3.50. during 1902, to which he
sas not entitled. This much was adj
mitted by the Bulletin. This action of
the board does not in itself involve any
dishonesty on their part but it certain
ly shows a dangerous ignorance of the
law on the part of men specially elect
ed to protect and safe guard the inter
ests Of the taxpayers. It also gives
ground to question the good faith
of the Sheriff who asked the board
to take this illegal action although he
had been sheriff four years working
under the same code and had every OPP
portunity to know by heart the provis.
ions of the chapter on sCompensat ton
of the Sheriff. That he is ready to
pay on demand does not lessen his
moral responsibility for asking OF the
board an action which there is every
reason to believe he knew at the time
was illegal and in direct violation of
the law We do not believe the Sher-
if would have asked this had he not
just been reelected for his third and
last term.
Let US now proceed to the second
charge of the Indictment against the
board and the sheriff. 1t appears thai
nearly year ago, members of the board
became aware of the fact that through
their ignorance of the law and their
carelessness in not looking up the code
they had committed an illegal action.
AS it was illegal it was not binding.
There was just as much reason to
make it right" then when the amount
was small as there is to-day when the
amount is over $3.50 90. The honorable
course for both the board and the
sheriff was to have made it right"
the moment they discovered the lille
eality of the payments. What excuses
of palliaton is there for this offense,
was it honorable, was it upright was it
be6tting the gilt edged members of
the board or "Houest Hank. either to
give or receive money which they
knew was being taken from the pock-
cts of the taxpayers without warrant
of law? Will the Bulletin please de
TEND this action.
AS to the third charge: up to Deem
Der the officials interested had succeed
ed in keeping the guilty secret to them
selves. Knowingly and with his eyes
open the representative of the board |
had paid out this illegal money month
after month; but in December, Mr..
John Cook who whatever his idiosyn-
crasies, is the best posted man on the
board and the closest student of the
code, discovered the illegal payments.
Both before and after he became
member OF the board he insisted that
the payment was against the law He
read the code TO the members, the
sheriff was fully advised, but in spite
OF all this, Honest Hank presented his
bill at what he knew was an illegal