The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-06-23

icing on tie SEX LIST, and unable to
go out ana see my lriends, shall have
t. ask for space in your valuable
paper to make few explanations in
regard to certain stories which have
been circulated about me by my op-
ponents. My aim in doing so is not
81 much to turn votes in my favor,
because ii does not matter much to
H., personally whether l am elected
as a member of the Legislature or
n, t, but | owe it to myself and my
friends 10 refute ISLANDERS and misrep-
reservations even if were not a can
G ate.
1T has been limited that certain Minct
laakers have brought me out as a can
di..ate for representative, but people
WHO know me have never found that
| was anybody's tool, or that l ever
was brought out as a candidate by
anybody. l always stood on my own
feet and that is what ! am doing in
this campaign, also.
A good deal was said during the
campaign two years ago about my in.
come while sheriff, especially from the
collecting of delinquent taxes, but
coming from such a disreputabe
source as A. v. Swanson, I never
thought anyone would believe a word
of it, hence / ignored the Islander,
feeling it would be below a mans dig.
nifty to pay any attention to him; and
furthermore, was not candidate at
that time for any office. Still, some
OF my friends have suggested of late
that it might be we'll to explain the de-
lfnquent tax COLLECTION on general
principles. Space will not permit
my going into details in the matter,
hut it is nevertheless fact that what
n ne, to the sheriff, proved a financial
less to me. Wherever l had to send
collectors out to collect delinquent
taxes there was no money in it for me
None Of my predecessors in the sher-
III 8 office had ever made any attempt
t. Force collection on delinquent taxes
but in 1905, the state examiner decided
t. enforce the law and demanded that
shariffs should collect taxes and turn
the money into the county treasury.
In asses where parties had moved
away or where destitute and unable
to pay we had to make affidavit to
that effect and in that case the state
would lose their share Of said delin.
quent taxes; but where the taxes had
not been collected, the counties, new
ertheless had to pay for such a ease
the states share of such taxes. In
case we failed to turn in either affi-
davits or cash the state would hold me
and my bondsmen for the uncollected
tax money. I was between the devil
and the deep sea; if 1 neglected that
! had to pay the back taxes myself.
Wien I sent men out and forced COL
lection, some people thought my depu-
ties robbed them, but among them a
few of Swanson's tribe had slipped in
and there were apparently bent on
doing me injury. Net being a mind
leader I do not follow in detail every
act OF my teputies out in the coun-
try. But know some Of them went
day after day in the Hill country with.
out finding anybody they could COL
lect taxes from, and even if charges
appeared high from a few whom they
collected from, in most cases the depu-
ties could not make much above tray
cling expenses. While my deputies
We're on the road with list to collect
t. csc taxes some Of the tax payers
had just sent their taxes in. In such
cases the deputies on their return
would have me charged up for making
these trips, which l had to make good
ont CT my own pocket. Every cent of
thet taxes collected belonging to the
county was turned over to the county
treasurer, and he receipted for the
sar1e, That in few cases, deputies
had actually made charges that on the
face Of them appeared excessive, was
mt brought to my knowledge. until a
year afterWards when it. appeared on
sceSe Of s@ansonss, circulars, signed
hyfaaman that served time in Jail for
teiFg, dishonest, and II was thus unable
to make any explanation or correction
at the time, knowing nothing abou,
it. A colleetor returning from the
country would make his reportsto one
OF my deputies in the office. and the
deputy in the Office, IN turn, would
make the final report 70 the county
treasurer, together with the check for
the amount IT taYos ho1onoino IN m q