Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-10-28
Non-Partisan County officers.

Non-Partisan County officers.
We gather from a perusal of the
late issues Of the republican papers
of this county, that a large number
of;republicans have decided to use
their best efforts to elect Tom j.
Hennessey sheriff. IL he is elected
it will be through their efforts, and
they will be entitled to the credit.
The democrats are now and have
been for many years largely in the
minority in this county, and when
ever during those years a democrat
has been elected here he was elected
by republican votes, and his election
was in no sense democratic victory.
No longer ago than last year a
large number of republicans be-
came convinced that it would be
for the best interests Of the people
Of this county to elect James Lee
gassick, who was candidate on the
democratic ticket for supervisor.
They went to work, openly and
above board, and secured his cleo
ton. Who can truthfully say that
the county has not already been
largely benefited by their action?
No one can. About four years ago
a reporter for the Democrat dis.
covered that the members Of the
board Of supervisors, for some reason
best known to themselves, were
almost daily violating the law which
required them to keep a bridge
book, in which should be entered
the items Of the cost Of material and
building and keeping in repair of
each bridge in the county. The
Democrat at once published an
article calling attention to the law,
that the law was being wholly
ignored by the supervisors, and
cited the statute which made the
members of the board liable to a
fine for each and every violation of
the bridge book statute. The re-
publican papers said nothing about
these irregularities" because they
feared that if they did it might in
jure their party. Neither did the
members of the board pay any at
tention to the matter, hut, instead,
they kept right on violating the law
and rending themselves liable to
pay heavy penalties for such viola
ton. Again and again the Demo-
crat called attention to and empha-
sized the fact that the board, not
withstanding that their illegal
methods had been exposed, con
tinued their Illegal 2 methods. 1t
had no effect upon them, and the
republican papers remained as mum
as mice. But at last large num-
Der Of republicans took the matter
in hand and worked early and late
to defeat the republican nominee
for supervisor, and by their united
efforts they succeeded, and James
Legassick; the democratic candidate
was elected. What has been the re-
suit? Before Legassick's election
not single account had been kept
or attempted to be kept with the
bridges Of the county. No one, not
| even. tbs ssupts H1diao5r, coufd tell
the cost o. a single bridge in the
county. Since Legassick took his
seat as a member of the board,
through his instrumentality, ably
aided and seconded by Roy B. Davis,
the newly elected county auditor,
who refused to issue orders on the
bridge fund unless the order for the
warrant complied with the law and
contained the necessary data to en-
able him to keep the bridge book as
required by law, the law in that
particular has been complied with,
and we believe that already the
county is richer by many hundreds
ofdollars by reason thereof. D
1t was not until after these good
results had been attained, by the
election Of democratic supervisor
by republican electors, that the re
publican papers ceased to be as
mute as CLAIMS on the subject.
After majority Of the voters Of
the county, republicans and demo-
Gratis had, so far as then lay in their
power, put an end to further IRE
gularities," then and not till then
did the Press, the chief organ of the
corporation, trust and monopoly
wing Of the republican party, make
itself heard in condemnation Of the
methods Of the board while com
posed of republicans only. 1t then
admitted the failure to comply with
the bridge book law, and called at
tention to the loose methods which
had heretofore prevailed in relation
to road expenditures. Among other
things on this subject the Press in
it's issue of September 10, 1903 said:
"The loose methods in which the
county transacts its road business is
one Of the most astonishing features
of the county's transactions q 9 and
would not be tolerated for minute
by an individual or business firm. "
The Press is right for once. The
loose methods in which the county
has for many years transacted its
road business would not be toler-
ated by an individual or business
firm. These "loose methods pre-
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