Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-06-07

cerned, amounts to s5,173 80. Mr.. Mol
says this item has always been regard
ed as belonging TO the Sheriff and 4
is understood Mr.. Gardner will con
/ test its payment Now ! fail to SCI
where this simple statement SHOULD
be made the subject of comment b.
YOU in your letter. | did not advise
whether the Sheriff's contention was
& correct one or not.
You state further in ycur letter that
the taxes recovered by suit from the
EIannls Distilling Co. do not enter in
to your audit If you will look at my
interview again you viii see | do not
say that ii does, but | do say that you
are asking the Sheriff 70 pay back
bout $1,000 of interest which accu
mulated on these bills which were in
litigation and for which the Sheriff
had already settled, which interest
does enter into your audit and is
charged against Mr., Gardner, whether
rightfully or wrongfully | cannot say.
Again you say my interview is a de-
fence of the sheriffs' This I deny. 1t
is an exposition of the truth as | I'M
derstand ii given in the interest of
fair play and fair dealing. You insin-
uate Mr.. Gardner has collected large
amount of delinquent taxes for which
he has failed to account You do not.
however, tell the Republican politi-
clans that he has on several occasions
before your audit was thought of of
fered to pay whatever he owed to the
county and that he was told not to do
so until he had collected as many of
the bills as possible. | merely cite
this instance to show how unfair you
have been and how easy it is to injure
an innocent man under the circum-
stances which he has been placed.
am satisfied Mr.. Gardner does not
need me to look after him and when
he feels sufficiently aggrjeved, you as
well as the public, will doubtless hear
from him.
And now, | have come to the last
paragraph of your letter. 1t is as fol
lows: Since seeing the statement by
Mr. Noll | am more impressed than
ever with the necessity of sentiment
behind the audit and public to enforce
the law" Why it is necessary to
create public sentiment to enforce the
collection of debts when the debtors
are willing to pay what Is Justly due
and owing? This is only local mat
ter and just as much so as when a for
mer State Tax Commissioner was sent
for to help finance Berkeley county
when it was bankrupt. What did he
do? He told us our troubles were To-
cal and that we were capable of TAX
ing care of them, got on the train and
left These very Sherif's' who are to
be denied the privilege of checking up
the charges against them put up $685.
600 and saved the cOunty's credit
when nobody else could be found to
do it.
| shall continue to do my duty as
see 1t regardless of public sentiment
or politics. The alleged indebtedness
of Mr.. Gardner and Mr.. Kettering are
purely business propositions and must
be dealt with in business way CUES
tions Of politics are settled at the polls
while questions of business are settled
in the courts. I shall give my best
services to the adjustment of these
debts and see to it that the county
and state get every cent that is justly
due each. know the people will give
me credit for being honest and will
give me a chance to transact the bust
ness in a regular and orderly way. I
am.
Very truly yours,