The Mena weekly star., 1909-02-11
THE DEMOCRAT AND COUNTY
 DEPOSITORY LAWS.


 recent number.
 | As briefly as possible The Star will enter into the merits of the case as it sees them.
 The Democrat refers to the fact that Representative Hamilton's bill had been killed in the senate, and then says that Senator Logan, who sidetracked Hamilton's bill. has in- i troduced similar measure but it will probably meet it's death in the house. .
 l In other words, the Democrat writer assumes that Hamilton will give tit for tat"-with the result that Polk county will at the close of this session of the legislature have no law that will enable it to get any interest for the use of it's funds each representative blaming the other for not accomplishing that which both promised the people who voted for them.
 The Democrat recites further that both bills are wrong in that they provide that only banks and trust companies can bid for the money, then bemoaning the fact that as there are no trust companies in Polk gounty, it is only the banks that can get or use these funds, asking why the banks should be favored in this P It further wants to know why farmers and business men should not have the same privilege, and says "shis is class legislation of the rankest kind"
 Such talk is about the thinnest ex- cuse for keeping the taxpayers from getting their simple rights that could be found. and it surely took a bright legal mind to conceive of such. Every man knows that this money must be placed on deposit in some bank, and that this bank gets inter est on same. Also that it is at all times subject to check to pay ex- penses of running the county, there fore the interest is only on the daily balances, and the Democrat writer presumes on very great ignorance on the part of its readers when he asks why it should not be loaned out to farmers and business men.
 The Democrat wants the question referred to the people for vote, say ing that if they vote for it. then it is theirs" The lawyer-editor knows that Teven if the people, under the present law, voted unanimously for the proposed law, it yet would take an act of the legislature to make it a law.
 The Democrat, after half column spent in talking about the handling of the peoples money, follows with this choice bit:
 The Star refers to the proposed law as one that has for its purpose the securing for Polk county of some revenue from its idle funds. That statement is Imaginable and grotesque in the extreme. If Polk county has any idle funds wouldn't it be the prop CT thing to pay cash for some of the county scrip that is now going beg ging for so cents on the dollar
 That's brilliant reversal. First, it's all wrong that the banks should have the money, and then the idea that there is any such to be had is 'laughable and grotesque." It must have taken two minds to have so quickly grasped two such opposite views of the question.
 Whats all this fuss about anyhow, Brother Robie? Why did Senator Logan go all over two counties "skinning" Legate because he killed law that would have given the people interest on their money?
 As to The Star grossly misrepre- senting facts when it stated that the campaign of our representatives was made before the people on the b ank d pository issue, a few words from a letter written to a Mena citizen by John H. Ham ilton on February 6 may let little light on the question of veracity.
 Here it is:
 told him Logan he knew my cam. paign TWO YEARS AGO was on that lthe depository law and last year they ran q man against me both in general election and primary to de- feat my bill, and that he I4ogan} only defeated legate by telling in both counties of his gLegate'sl defeat of my lHamilton'sl depository law.
 So much for the Democrat, con- sistency and veraeity
 Now for few facts.
 As conditions now are, the coun- tvs deposits go by favor. They are placed in any bank chosen by certain county officials. All of the Mena banks have at one time or another ! been thus favored. Under this { system it is not a matter of how ..st.s.k <. ts..l .lf.