The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-27
TAKES DIFFERENT VIEW.
County Commissioners and Ex-
Sheriff Mcleod Defended
Majority of People Favor Re-
election of Commissioners and
M NIL cod for State Senate.

Majority of People Favor Re-
election of Commissioners and
Mr.. Mcleod for State Senate.
To the Editor of The Robesonian.
| am not given to ventilating
my opinions through the col
umns of newspaper and would
not do sonow if it were n6tfor the
fact that in doing so l voice a SEN
timent which is strong in this
community.
Some issues back you PUBLISHED
letter from D. P. McEachern,
of Red Springs, in which
he expressed surprise that
the present board of COM
missioners should announce
themselves as candidates for re
election and that Geo. B. Mcleod
should announce himself can
didate for the Senate. He ar
CUES they should not do so be-
cause they have admittedin their
reply to the charges preferred
against them by the board
of audit and finance, that
they have violated the law.
Consequently he concludes that
they are not worthy and should
not be considered, though at the
conclusion of his article he eX-
presses confidence in these gen.
tlemen.
The people are familiar with
the controversy which involved
these charges and replies which
appeared in your paper. History
records only one instance in
which man claims to have kept
the whole law and had our com.
missioners and ex-sheriff claim.
: ed that they had fulfilled the
law to the letter we should have
been forced to doubt it. They
have acted with the legal advice
: of competent attorneys and thu
board has followed precedent
established by former board
= counselled by the attorney VIII
now advises their accuser
a that they have violated the law
j They have made mistakes
e doubtless, but no reasOnabl
r man believes that they are guilt
: of corruption, fraud, cOllusior
l. malfeasance. or graft. The
# have administered the affairs {
o the county conscientiously, COZ
servatively and economical.
y still they have given US or
d of the most progressive az
E. ministrations the county has evo
st had. Luther Bullock, Sane
is McEachern, Charlie Oliver,
4 S. Alderman and j. w. Cart
" are men of intelligence, of bus
p ness ability, of high charact
n and unimpeachable integrit
is They are not law breakers, tn
ed are not grafters, they are n
n criminals and Mr.. McEache
ed does them an injustice, doubtle
at unintentional, when he publish
ms an article which may be CO
strued as charging them wi
at such. He does not believe tn
e. are corrupt men and his conc
n sion says so.
n So far as Geo. B. Mcleod
CHI concerned little need he said
of he is we'll known and popu
he throughout the entire county.
he good deal has been publish
lately about his tax settlement
W. The board of audit and fnan
on in one or two reportspublished
in The Robesonian claimed that
he owed the county about five HI
ew dred dollars. He refused
mt settle in accordance with tn
in report and in order to effect
by settlement a committee
on the board of commissioners q
rty a majority of the board of au
cts and finance with the assistar
of accountants stated his
count. From the last Robes
~, ian, which contains the sworn
,o+ port of this committee it appe;
I'M that the county owes Geo. B. \
To- Leod nearly four hundred doll
If instead of his owing the coul
an a dollar and that previous repo
, of the board of audit and final
10 stating that he was indebted
mn the county were incorrect on
ac. count of some errors which
ao- experts, first employed by
I've ave board of audit and finance,
overlooked. 1t seems now t
tod the tables are turned and t
d. the county owes Geo. Mel
ard and that the reports to the C
de- trary, which certain persons, {
oes the board of audit and finan
1ch so zealously circulated are
inc true. The people of the cou
IS are not uniformed about
civ controversy. They know it's
the gin, the fostering care WI
aiIv nurtured it and the purpose
1se which it aimed. They bell
ard also that personal prejudice r;
of err than public spiritedr
,ch- prompted the formation of tt
de- charges which were prefer
,ent They believe also that Geo.
ion Leod has paid to the county
aker the moneys which he was ju
,iltv due and has proper rece
resi- therefor for if he had
his something would have POI
,nch ed on him quicker'n a d
This on a June bug and cole
dent it from him or his bondsn
ZEN They believe that the only MI
Ition which the county has lost on
,tter Mcleod was about fifteen
. to dred dollars expended in tr
20 > to convict him of charge
which he was not guilty al
ID. pears from the joint repo
T