The Paducah evening sun., 1910-01-04
Introductory.

Introductory.
To the Members of the McCraeken
County Fiscal Court:
Gentlemen: In endeayoring TO
comply with the resolution passed
by you, requesting that l should
compile a statement, in general
way, as to the fiscal affairs of the
county, and as to what has been ac-
complished by this ADMINISTRATION,
feel that ] am to be excused for the
apparent lack OF details Indicated,
because of the limited amount OF
time at my disposal. In submit
ting the report, II has been my pur-
pose to be as accurate as 10 aggre-
gate amounts as the records them
selves will show, and a yerihcaton
can easily be had by comparison OF
statements herein made with the
records in the various departments
referred to.
feel assured that the reading of
this report will at least afford in
formation TO many who are not con-
versant with the affairs of the coun-
Nv II. indeed, IL does not furnish a
source of satisfaction and pride to
Won gentlemen, who compose the
membership of the McCracken fiscal
court / am not unmindful of the
fact that public officer Is COM
mon and usual target and object OF
criticism, subject to the varying
wbins and fancies of certain classes
of people. and while ! know that
this court has not escaped, yet 1
feel that the calm and dispassion-
ate Judgment of the future will pro-
nounce pleasing criticism upon your
administration rather than censure.
The fickleness of popular mind and
clamor will give applause or CEN
sure. lust as It's Immediate needs or
demands may require. That which
may be thing of approval today is
as liable to be held reprehensible to-
morrow. Transient motives for COM
plaint based upon either personal or
political expectations are uncertain
and unreliable guides or guards for
a. public officer, and common obser-
yatfon would Justify that only the
coming OF time win give the real
need of praise or Just disapproval OF
tine administration of any officer.
With the acceptance of such as the
proper test, the members of the
court need expect anything except
the applause of the future.
Rctrospection.
Before going into the subject mat
ter proper, IL might not be amiss TO
refer to conditions confronting this
court at the time of assuming your
offices and taking charge OF the al
fairs of the county. This should be
permitted for the reason that the
public should be made acquainted
with the embarrassing obstacles,
necessary TO be overcome, before
any attempt at, public Improvements
could even be made, In 1902, for in
stance, you found that there was
deficit in the sinking fund of $6O,-
600, that should have been levied
and collected as taxes by preceding
administration for the purpose of
paying the principal and interest,
amounting to 100000. in the form
OF railway bonds. Permit me TO
state, however, that this deficit was
not the result of any mishandling of
funds collected, but merely the re-
suit OF failure to levy the necessary
tax to which the county was sacredly
pledged. At the time referred to
not one dollar of the bonded indebt-
edness had been paid. We were re-
quired 10 pay five per cent interest
upon this Indebtedness, as we'll as
collect the fractional part of the
principal, as required by law. These
two items, alone, fiecessitated the
collection, annually as taxes upon
the people of over $4,000, and
when raising the additional 1000
was added IL became an apparent
burden, not easily carried or thrown
aside. Whatever might have been
the ambitions of the court, IL was
mandatory upon you that this deficit
be at once removed. You also found
an indebtedness upon the roads of
the county amounting to $39,S00,
contracted previous to your induc-
tion into Office. In addition to the
above your county court house was
IN a deplorably delapidated condi-
ion, not being provided with any of
he ordinary comforts reasonably to
be expected. Its condition was such,
Is well as that OF the Jail, as 10 ne
essitate Immediate and extensive re-
air, both the court house and Jail
ing eye-sores in appearance and
agreement in fact, for many reas-
!. the heating and lightning of
b buildings being not only unsat-
ctory but exceedingly extrava-
as to cost. The court house
was used principally as a pas
for the many cows and horses
ne neighborhood. and was not
an ungainly sight TO behold.
in It's unattended condition was
,ause OF much exceedingly just
'sn OF the people. In addition
of this no more reprehensible
of affairs could have existed