Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1909-01-22
Editorial Column,
GRAFT STILL ON TAP.

Last month the Ledger took occasion expose clear
of graft committed by the Dispatch in printing bill
presented the board of supervisors the December
ing The bill allowed in full by the board as presented
Notwithstanding its fraudulent character obvious any
with the least knowledge Of the printing business The
charge for publishing notice from the collectors
Office and read in this WISE
Oct 81 Publishing notice taxpayers, IS So, $50
Nov. 81 Is So, at 1900
Total $22.5oI
AS matter of fact the advertisement appeared in the
columns of contemporary measured ~ squares and the
legal charge against the county for the should have
been $780, and that price there would have been lot of
needless space charged against the county The exposure of
this barefaced robbery of the taxpayers met by curl
democratic cotemporaryhe organ which the last democratic
convention travelled outside of its pathway boost worthy
of the support of all democrats by screed against the
editor of the Ledger the purport of which that the
posture in the Ledger prompted by personal motives of
ealousy and spleen; and nmatng that when the county
printing done principally by the Ledger there mol
cry about cutting of and all that of paavr THERE
square c1earcut denial of the charge of graft there
disputing the facts stated in the Ledger But
the Dispatch tried wggle out of tight place by endeavor
ing sideact and beog the real issue. The claim like all
other claims against the county, toat least it'll
appears its face. The gravaman of article the
effect that the who put that bill in that shape in order
fitch few dollars Of the county treasury that he was
entitled to- statement which he knew to be I'M
One would think that after such exposure Of grating
methods the guardians of the countythe board of super
vsorswoud be the alert and that the county
robbed in the again Ignorance might pass
muster the first e they unacquanted with the print
ing business and caught mapping; but it be
pleaded second time in extenuaon of illegal raids upon the
county treasury In the face public attention being call
ed to the very subject to allow dentcay the bill go
through second time and the very meeting of the
board seems us to assume more serious aspect than
caressness concerning the welfare of the county And this
is what has actually occurred At the January meeting the
board this bill for advertisingthe sesame advertisement
from tax-coectors ocebobs up sereney the same
grating sum- but in slightly different wording. Among
other items of printing the Dispatch bill the follow
ing:
Publishing notice to taxpayers at $500
Now this difference the wording between the charges
for precisely the work significant 1t will be noticed
that this last bill, while the pocketed dollars is
nothing said about the number squares con-
tanned in the advertisement There is sworn statement
about measurement of Is squares. This omission is
virtual confession of the unbenabty of the claim 1t avoids
liability for perjury in swearing known to be
false puts the bill the basis of overcharge alone
demand for SIS when only DUE according the
tabshed The ultimate end reached Just the same
the graft of and above what the printer legal
ly entitled And the officers concerned in this transaction
placed in the position of allowing claim without any
statement as to the measurement thereof. They it
blind that after public attention had been directed
thereto That is the way the business of Amador county is
conducted under the existing regime 1t may be democratic
method Ct doing things for partisan ends 1t be said
that it safeguarding the interests Of the taxpayers The
advertisements still running the columns of the Dispatch
notwithstanding the fact that legal opinion has been given
law does require its publication for
will be TO watch how