Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-03-12
officers So per year, for four years

,.|..-I RML
officers So per year, for four years
paid $12. 90.
Subtract this from the last figures
and it leaves me 5000. SO.
And, besides all that, my fee voucher
will show that all other expense were
included, something that helps to swell
figures, but, nevertheless everything is
itemized and my bills are on file and
any a man can see at a glance that
the article printed on another page
of this issue is a garbled mess of pot
tage.
Mr.. Wheelon stands as sponsor for
these articles, but | believe l know the
committee that is working in the mud
factory. And really, / feel Inundated
when / take notice of any thing such a
bunch shuld see fit to say about me. A
bunch of political pirates, some of
whom are SO crooked they couldn't hide
behind the State House if no n was
watching them.
Andto find one among them that is
not cronked would be like trying to I'M
scramble an egg.
And they allude to me as a profess
sionol Office holder, professionals right,
not only in holding the Office but hold
ing it right.
And, by the way one member of the
above committee referred to, has run
for Office more times than lever did but
always got left at first base. l sup
pose he is a professional too. I don't
want to get personal and mention any
names of candidates of other factions,
and there is not now and never was
any use or sense in ~factionalism, the
old fashioned Republicanism is good
enough for thinking people and prefixes
galore, will not change the mind of a
man who has a thinking machine under
his hat.
But, my old friend Wheelon, forgets
that he once dragged a good salary
from the County Auditors office for
eight long years and that through the
grace of his friends was permitted to
drag nearly $4,000. 90 for the next eight
years as Register of the U. S. Land
office here at Pierre and did not want
to let loose at that time, to say moth
ing of the enormous pension he has
been receiving (and which he is de-
serving of for the last 40 years. But
let that go as it may, did he ever put
any of the above in circulation? No!
1t was a straight salary and he had no
expenses connected Herewith. He has
it and will keep it, and is using his
best efforts to keep any body else from
earning an honest dollar.
And | have no holler coming at that.
But, why do they compare the poorest
year of my predecessor with any of
the years that / was sheriff, both got
the same percentage on tax collections.
And the more collected, the bigger the
fee, and it is a matter of record that |
have collected delinquent personal tax
from people in Germany, England,
Australia, Canadian points and more
than a dozen of our own States.
And then in another article allude to
collection of tax by hirelings who paid
there people, that this motely crowd of
b~lood-suckers call hirelings.
The County only once paid me for
any help in my Office and that was in
connection with another article in this
same paper. The County Commission
ers made a verbal contract with me
during my last year, whereby l could
get pay for a part Of my trouble and
expense in cleaning up a lot of taxes
several years delinquent, which was
perfectly legitimate and when they say
that all that / claimed was unauthoriz-
ed by law. Although two of them are
lawyers, they either do not know what
the law is or else they think they can
fool some one. done my best to clean
up all the taxes that was possible to
collect and came nearer doing it than
has been done in thirty years.
Then in another article they say that
it has been reported that / have made
my brags that / pulled down more
money than was reported against me,
that is al absolute lie and the writer
thereof knows its a lie, and a man with
any respect for himself or any regard
for the truth, would not stoop to such
dirtiness.
Why, a blind ma with his arms and
feet and head cut off could read between
those lines and for that matter could
tell them what they meant without
having them say, Take Notice. They
are 9 fine bunch. None Of them even
though starving, could get their hand
into an open barrel filled with buttered
hot biscuits. Oh, honesty, thou art a
jewel, but the people are getting tired
Of this thing Of hollering, Reform!
Reform! when none is needed. And
when hear q man holler "Wolf,
Wolf, look out for him, he is mad, and
might bite YOU, but if you look him
square in the ave he will ol;rL nr,.,,