Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1912-02-08
PROVE YOUR CHARGES,
YOU BANNER Man
OF GRAFT DITCH MATTERS BEFORE LEGALLY CON.
sTlTuTED INVESTIGATION COMMISSION
AFTER PEACE
The TIME lNslNuATIoN huENDo AND wiLLFuL MsREPRE
sENTATIoh HAS PASSED; FACTS,
TIME, PERSONS, PLACES AND FIGURES
II There
the Taxpayers ltcunty
Been Demand

The Argyle Banner has on numer- !
Gus occasions shown it's enemity to
the great public improvement of
ditching that has been carried on ex.
tensively in this and all other valley
counties during the past few years
The paper has tried in season and out
of season to stir up discord and dis
satisfaction among the people Of the
county in regard to these drainage
projects, but in spite of this opposi-
tion, the people in all parts of the
county have recognized the necessity
of drainage, and have petitioned for
and gotten established large num-
Der Of bitches.
The next move on the part of the
Banner has been to impugn and as
sail the honesty and integrity of each
and all OF the county and court Off
cials from the judge Of the district
court down, who, in the discharge of
their public duties, have had anything
whatever, to do with the establish
ment of or the letting of the contracts
for these bitches. Graft has been
charged, but nothing specific Or tangi-
bic has been brought forth in these
charges. Only by insinuation and
inuendo has the character and official
integrity of public officials been as
sailed and undermined. Now the
time has come to call halt Give
us the facts.
The newspaper is not the proper
tribunal for the investigation of these
charges. Let the governor of the
state appoint competent and wholly
desinterested commission to thor
oughly investigate all county ditch
matters, and with power to summon
witnesses. Let the Banner man and
all others who have any charge and
complaint to make, appear before this
commission. If their charges are pro
ven then let the guilty ones be punish
ed, but if they are not substantiated
then let the malignment of honest
men cease ever after.
Last week the Banner contains al
article written by come one who is
not 'man" enough to sign his name
but hides under the non de plume OF
Taxpayer. Evidently he is either
a crank, a fool or a knave, or very
likely all three, as he makes wild
charges Of graft in the construction
of Judicial ditch No. IL, of Marshall
and Beltrami countless and gives fig.
ures and statements that are not &C.
I cording to the facts on record.
"Taxpayer'' charges cOlluslon
among the bidders for that ditch, say
ing that contractors who did not bid,
ssgot little sap handed to them, one
getting $4,000, one $500, one a sub
contract and "the bunch that allowed
the deal to be pulled off got $4,000 to
divide between them. AS the county
auditors and county attorneys of the
two counties let the contract, they are
evidently the ones who got the $4,000
sWag. Now what are the facts as to
the bidding: Three bonafide bids were
!, presented, namely the Northwestern
Drainage Co., of Grand Rapids, Wis,
at 1913 cents per cubic yard and SLID
y per mile for levelling the road; Deny
Sherwood, Litchfield, Mimi, at IL
cents per cubic yard and SlOO per
mile for levelling the roads; and For
..restal & Feyen, st. Paul. who did not
hid on the whole ditch but on parts
or gubstations of same that were the
easiest to construct, their bid being
81 per cubic yard and $125 per mile
for dwelling the roads. When every
thing is taken into consideration, the
hid Of the Northwestern Drainage Co.,
Is the cheapest and best bid, and fur
thermore said company also agreed
Is take the ditch bonds at par, II the
counties could not dispose OF them 10
4 anv other way. Said company gave
bond Of $525,OO0 for the faithful per
formance Of It's contract.