The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-10-09


AS a defense, Mr.. Barley pointed our
that the present administration had
found deficit In the funds, and they
would not leave 1t any larger.
II he was elected county Judge
Mr. Hazelip said he intended to de-
crease crime by working some or the
county prisoners, sentenced to hard
labor, on the county roads, but not
to deprive any man of the right to
work out his road tax. something the
present administration has refused
and permitted a few favorltes to land
the work. He said he intended to
load the prisoners in a Gagged wagon
and take them out 10 work, and then
the jail would not MI up SO rapidly
In order to place the county back on
business basis he said the strictest
economy would have to be practiced
Mr.. Hazelip scored a heavy point
on Mr.. Barley when he told of Mr.
Barkley's making his settlement
with the bondsmen OF Smedley with
the books of the defaulter with no
investigation, He told the story of
how william Husbands. the state rev.
enue agent. had found out the short
age. and charged Mr.. Barkley with
he fiscal court with attempting To
take the suit out of his hands In
reply, Mr.. Barley said he found
three small, black books. the private
cash books of Mr.. smedley. and the
settlement was made from them. Mr.
Hazelip said: "The idea of taking the
books Of a defaulter. as basis to
make a hurried settlement with a
bonding company that stood for ev-
cry cent stolen from the county was
absurd" ! can see why Mr.. Barley
took that receipt for si.5S2,50 lie
did 50 in order that the matter might
be hushed up over in circuit court
is a suit filed to recover over $4,000
due the state for Delinquent taxes
and yet the county rate Is higher
than the state rate Not only was
the settlement made IN a hurry. but
no attempt was made TO collect the
20 per cent penalty prescribed by
law and then the ten per cent inter
est. and give the county $4,000 in
stead Of the st.266 paid into the
treasury" Mr. Barley made no de-
NAL OF the law giving the 20 per
cent penalty and the 10 per cent in
terest on shortages. but said so
many county court clerks were short
that the state auditor had given per-
mission not 10 follow out the statute
In his speech Mr.. Barley made no
attempt TO conceal the fact that a
clique was running the county court
house. and said that he had 70 Hght
hard to give the bridge contract 10
the lowest bidder instead OF another
individual Mr.. Hazelip agreed and
said Mr. L. T. Onphant. the pres!-
dent Of the vincennes Bridge COM
pany. told a prominent citizen that
the gang" IN McCracken county was
the fercest he had been up against
Mr.. Oliphant said he was building
about 800 bridges. but In this county
after he had fixed the magistrates
he found that the prescribed cement
cost an additional 10 cents on the
barrel. the steel cost $40 more ON the
ton and that competitive bidder
was placed over him as inspector
Then he had 20 give him the Perkins
creek contract before he could shake
him loose.
The extravaganza OF allowing bills
for committee work Was brought out
By Mr. Hazelip. and Mr. Barkley
made no statement that he had OPP
posed the expense. which began dur
ing his term Of Office
Mr. Barley said he was not re-
sponsible for the failures Of anybody
else and was not going to carry their
load. He said he had made mistakes
He pointed out that during his term
Of Office, after a fight. he had made
the fiscal court meet every month
and got the road supervisor 10 bring
in an ltemized statement OF his ex-
penses When he entered upon his
duties he said magistrates were
working upon the road and after an
appeal to the appellate court he was
sustained in his contention that IL
was Illegal, He said, he had forced
the fiscal court 10 publish an annual
report OF the finances and he gave
examples of how he had trimmed
the bills Of the coroner, county court
clerk and sheriff. That the salary OF
the circuit Judge was not increased
during his term OF Office he said was
due to his fight TO the appellate
court. when every Paducah lawyer
favored It. lie said that he had pre-
vented the county being assessed for
draining low land for the benefit Of
private owners.
In answer to the charge that the
settlement was hurried, Mr.
Barley said the bonding company
came forth promptly to settle. As
the law allows a commission of five
per cent for the collection of back