The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-08-09
HE OWOsSOl TIMES
nDMuND o. DEWEY. EDIron.
owosso. FRIDAY AUG. .. 1907
The County Loans.


in the regular course OF business
AT 6 per cent That the
loans were made upon the
strength of the resolution of the
hoard Of supervisors, authorizing the
county treasurer to borrow money
for the extra cost of the court house
and the letter makes an appeal TO
Abe voters of the county to pay this
debt. claiming it is an honest debt
and if not paid the county VIII re-
pudiate its debts.
II officers of the bank and other
creditors examined the resolution or
the board of supervisors or August
80. 1904, which they claim was the
authority upon which the loan was
made, to the county officers they had
notice from such resolution itself,
that the loan was illegal and could
noe he collected. The bank admit
4ipr that it loaned the money on
Ahis resolution, is simply admitting
that it was willing to lend its aid TO
an illegal proposition, as the ohcers
of the bank we'll knew at that time
abat the people of Shiawasse county
had authorized the expenditure OF
hut $4,000 for the construction or
the court house and any extra eX-
nense incurred, exceeding that sum
would be misrepresentation OF the
peoples money.
The circular letter claims that this
aeht is an honest debt and not to pay
il would be reputation by the coun-
Nv OF its honest obligations. Is this
a fact? The money was borrowed by
county officers, to be sure, but with
out any authority or sanction from
the people of the county and on their
OWN responsibility. The law pro-
hibited such actions Of the county OH
cers and these officers knew the loans
made were illegal and knew the ex-
penditure of the funds received was
aontrary to the will of the people OF
the county and the constitution of
the state of Michigan.
e is a we'll established principle,
that every person that deals with
public officers must take notice of
their authority to act and If public
officers exceed their authority they
cannot bind the county We must
claim that these loans were born in
an Illegal act and we deny most
emphatically that they are honest
debts of the county, but the debts
were contracted contrary to the ex-
pressed will of the people and con-
arary to the constitutional provision
of our state constitution. The only
reason the creditors are asking the
county to assume and pay these
debts is that they believe it Is easier
TO work the people Of the county,
ahan to recover from the officers au-
thorizing and making these illegal
loans. The people of the county did
rot wish to eXpend $150,O00 for a
court house, but the board Of super
visors expended that sum. The peo-
pie had expressly stated that the
court house should cos. .$75,0 900 and
no more. The act of the county Off
GERS in making and mourning the
debts above the actual appropriation
was dishonest act and not the act
OF the county of Shiawassee or its
people and the county is not respon-
sible for such actions and should not
stand for it, but on the contrary 1t Is
the duty of the people of this county
TO repudiate such actions and
protest against them, as violation
of law, order and good government
and as menace to the county.
The bank claims the loans were Of
a similar nature to loans made for
years past, on similar resolutions Of
the board of supervisors. We beg to
differ from this statement, as
the loans made by former supervisors
were to make up deficit in contin-
gent expenses, caused by the fact that
the county had not appropriated suf-
ficient funds for its officers salaries,
poor fund and other running ex-
penses. This loan was for the express
purpose of building a court house,
was made in defiance OF the laws and
constitution Of the state and against
she expressed will Of the people, 1t
is OF an entirely different nature than
rhe loans made by former supervisors
and these creditors should not make
such statements in their letters to
blind the people.
We believe that the officers Of this
county must live up to the law in the
performance of their official duties,
chat the law should not be violated
with IMMUNITY. the will of the people
and constitution of the state ignored.
Any man who votes to sanction these
loans. sanctions the official acts of
ohe officers making them and places
premium on dishonest and illegal
methods and actions of their public
officers. Such vote practically says
20 all future county officers, you can
disregard the laws and constitution
OF the state and ignore the express
ed will of the people in your actions,
you can mortgage our farms and
homes with impunity. We have ex-
onerated one set of county officers
and paid their illegal debts and we
VIII do the same with you.
Personally we feel sorry for the
persons who have loaned their money
to the county officers and we do not
IKE TO see them lose their money. but