Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-08-18
THAT POLITICAL "REP0RT."
The Times Appears As Counsel For the
County Court, and Tries to Figure Its
Client Out Of a Hole.

The Times Appears As Counsel For tn
County Court, and Tries to Figure Its
Client Out of Hole.
In lis last issue the Corvalli.
Times appears as counsel for The
county court, defe ndant before the
people on the charge of publish
ing a political document under
the guise of an official report,
admits its Client is guilty, but
urges extenuating circumstances.
The Times says in effect: The
''report" just published by or
der of the county court is intend
ed to pursuade taxpayers of Ben
ton county that they are wrong
when they say that during Judge
Woodward's administration the
county was. practically out OF
debt. Taxpayers, who arc OF
this belief and who are protest
ing because the county tax levy
is higher than it has been for
yeals, must be led to believe that
| they are mistaken, for such a
condition If afairs is prejudicial
to tire political prospects o. the
pre- s-nt court.
In saying this the Times ..d-
mits the GAzETTE's contention
that "thc report is of no value
aside from the benefit the court
hopes may accrue to it politi-
cally," aud, therefore. it was is
sued solely for political purposes.
If, as the GAZETTE stated in
its issue Of August nth, 1.-The
court feels that some explanation
is necessary in order to square it.
self with taxpayers who are not
satisfied with the way matters are
being conducted, and who are
protesting because the county tax
levy is higher than it has been
for years." taxpayers have no oh
lection SO long as the court con-
fines itself to facts and avoids
misleading statements, if it pays
for its political literature out of
its own pocket. But objection
is made when the cours foists
political document onto the peo-
pie, and pays for it out of the
funds in the county treasury.
There was no occasion for put
ting the county to the expense
of having the clerk compile this
"report. The law requires
that statement of the county's
financial condition shall be COM
piled semi-annually and publish
ed SO that taxpayers may know
the county's financial condition.
Such a, report is due the goth of
next September, a little nc~e
than month hence.
Judge Woodward never found
it necessary to get out special
report in order to convince tax
payers that the county was get
ting out of debt. Taxpay ers
were satisfied with his manage
ment, and they saw by the semi
annual reports of the democratic
county treasurer, sheriff and
clerk that the county's debt was
being lowered. They also knew
that the tax levy for county pur-
poses was growing smaller.
x
In addition to the material and
official evidence that the county
was in excellent financial condi-
ton, the city papers commented
upon the fact editorially as an
inducement to settlers to come to
this county. The Times an
nounced ''the important fact that
Benton county is practically out
of debt" Taxpayers knew this
was true then, they know it now,
and no juggling with figures can
confuse them at this or any other
time.
The statements made in the
CAVITIES editorial of August
nth, under the caption ga Po-
litical Document are self.evi-
dent and need no argument to
support them. The Times ad-
mits them, but offers as an ex-
cuse that the utterances of the
GAzETTE-regarding the fnan-
cial condition of the county Just
prior to the time when Judge
Woodward went into Office and
at various periods during his ad-
~ 81 IL, -