The Greeley tribune., 1906-09-27
A Letter From Eaton.
Eaton, Colo, Sept. 10, 1906.
,ditnr Pnudrp Valley.

Eaton, Colo, Sept. 10, 1906.
Editor Poudre Valley.
Dear Sir:-As a republican voter
do not feel safe in sending this
communication to the Greeley
papers. fearing they would refuse TO
publish it, and that is my reason for
trespassing upon your good nature
and paper. But ! have grievance
and wish to air it for the benefit OF
those who may be ignorant of what
| have to state. A man, worthy OF
the office he seeks, was recently
nominated for reelection by brother
republicans, but l understand that
he proposes, if reelected, to keep in
office man who it is alleged, is
guilty of misappropriating money
paid into his office; that the sum SO
misapporpriated Tor stolen, to use
plain English) amounted to over
81, 200; that an official examination
of this clerks books showed the
populations had been going on for
years, but when confronted with evil
dence of his guilt he pleaded care
leSsness only and was not prosecuted
on his returning the money stolen;
that he had to dispose of some
country real estate to make good.
My informant is a Greeley banker
and man of good character, conse-
quently l am forced to believe him.
Such being the case how can l, as a
good citizen, and how can hundreds
of other good republicans, afford to
compromise ourselves by voting for
the man who is up for reelection?
Republican VOTER
Windsor Poudre Valley.
While the Tribune has for some
time been fully informed upon the
matter referred to in the above letter
there appears to be more of forlorn
hope. than any criminal intent in
the withholding of the funds men,
toned. The official in question
turned over to the county commits
sioners 81. 464. 9S shortly before his
books were audited by the commits
sion appointed by the county COM
missioners. This amount had, as
the writer of the above letter states,
been kept out from the fees of the
office for long period of time, and
in the absence of any evidence to the
contrary we will probably have to
accept the otiicial's statement for his
motive.
1t is fairly we'll known that in
1899 there was passed by the legisla-
ture what was known as the 'Harter
BILL" reducing the salaries of GER
tain county officials from $500 to
$500 or more, according to what they
were drawing. Among other offices,
the one in question here was reduced
in annual salary several hundred
dollars. The matter was at once
taken into the courts by the dis
gruntled politicians, and many have
been nourishing the forlorn hope
that the supreme court would event
ually declare the law unconstitu-
tional, which. in its final decree
rendered some months ago, it refused
to do, hence those officials who were
in a position to do so, and had hung
on to their old salary, found it neces-
sary to go down into their pockets
and make good the amounts that had
been kept out.
AS to whether or not the official In
question here had any intention of
retaining the money that he had
withheld. or that he was morally
right or wrong in the matter we will
leave to him to say. The worst that
was said about him in the auditors
report to the commissioners was the
deplorable lack of system in his
bookkeeping, and the opportunity it
afforded for misappropriation of
funds. 1t did not say that any
funds had been misappropriated.