The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-02-03
REPLY
OF THE
Board of Commissioners of
Robson County
to the Charges against them which are
= Contained in the Report of the Board
of Audit and Finance.
Lumberton, N c., January goth, 1908
To the Public:

To the Public: =
As stated by chairman card published the county papers
some days desire make reply to- the charges made against
us by the board of audit and finance and the
complete report OF the board made publc-un the evidence the
the other exhibits SHOULD be filed as the law directs This has
been done and concluded wait longer We have therefore
and ready to,naake explanation the public
with gie , oesa to make s @ @
not do and far such be necessary for
only motive making this reply that the people of county
have honored with public office and whom responsible
report and be made acquainted with the which have moved
be violations Of the law Had the report the board of
audit and finance been fair had it been just had contained all the
Haye be Df Written o' e fa d aG E b would '0
We do understand that the functions of board of audit and
finance those of prosecuting officer that the duty OF the
board take only such testimony tends ncrmnate the person
under investigation and omit the testimony in his favor On the other
hand understand thai board Of audit and finance should take the
testimony both and after hearing all the EVIDENCE draw
their conclusions thererm they find the facts be would
i he should o ' be p Sa o S S" ga be h oD'i@
course which should have been taken by the board of audit and finance
the board the matter viii he seeming ntenton of
Judge and ury and have rendered their verdict all UPON
testimony They did allow any the officers under investigation
ney They hearings
Pubc were not admitted Only such witnesses as WERE desired by
concerning which they be examined The result is that
ngs upon this evidence are BUT atr WHEN are oetines the
worst kind of untrut It is as if one should state that John o9e
n sell defence ~ e " ~ IN ~
The statement that Jones murdered Smith one wou produce one
did self-defence would pub
lie vndcaton So with the report of the board of audit and fin
liable make certain impression the public mind
officers had been added the matters would be in different
light This injustice done through gnoranctc board knew
the exepanaonbut the result Of the policy OF the board in
taking the testimony upon both sides
This ali the injustice which has been done Certain officers
been hary and ujusy dealt with The law authorizes the board
discretion makea complete examination INTO the conduct OF all
December 1000 and iii their report the board states that such
nation has been made They would therefore lead the public to believe
that they have reported all violations of the law which have occurred
such period by all officers and that all violations committed
by and the other gentlemen who are mentioned in the report ie
again injustice has been done We have been condemned for doing
bee c,,s"GwfIe olers who have done precisely the SANE ling
within the period of four vnad by the silence OF Tx
and all gven-whie the report is silent to other per
equal and impartial justice has been done all al
have been treated alike all have not been fed out the sam
the attempt made destroy while Others have been permitted
wing flight peace unsrbe by the board of audit and finance
This being the is little singular that the report OF the boar
audit and finance should contain SO many to the 2a
This ph several places in the report
Thou doth protest too much!
guilty upon exparte testimony of alleged violations Of law
things done Innuatons and differences have bee
made and drawn against which entirely unsupported by tn
and the evidence These things will be taken up their pope
. order.
that long ago Wh foreign high priced experts employee
look the books when three men were engaged at S per da
notice that should decline approve the bill Hence when bi
for work. amounting $O6OOO presented til
we directed him not pay ThereuPon trea
that if did the BILL we would be prosecuted &c
misconduct concerning entirely other matters The Inference M
pay the bill this prosecution would not be instituted
still declined to pay heavy hand of the ha
fallen upon us Be that may will make ro
what conceive be duty and we shall resist payment in
the end.
With this preliminary which regretted be compet
to make we will make explanations of the charges against
We wish that had the space to explain each charge mo-
fully detail The lengthy however and we cannot ho
to secure sufficient space any newspaper further than state in Il
simplest concise way the nature of answer which
follows
:4sa
The first charge brought against us is that of msma
agement of the county finances.
This charge is not made directly but by way innuaton
inference The report saWe regret to have to report that
badly mismanaged There fo