McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1922-07-28

- fH HhibN' Iil't ", hot dubt GOO
ed to anybody and bearing the
name of j. P. Harkins. While it
is signed by him it was prepared
by lawyer II. P. Wood. who was
employed by this Mr.. Harkins to
get up" something for him just
before the election for campaign
purposes. He selects as a basis
for the circular just one of the
16 quarterly reports | made to
the County Court. and garbles
that one report with other reports
which | did not make, and there
by reaches the false conclusion
that there are about SIG, 900 in
unpaid school warrants. Mr..
Harkins never saw one of these
reports himself, and never exam
ined the pages of the minute
book to which he refers in this
circular. All the figures quoted,
and all the charges and insinua-
tions in this circular are the be-
labored efforts to create false
impressions and to mislead the
people, The real facts were
not given and purposely avoided
for campaign purposes.
In addition to this circular this
Mr.. Harkins has issued another
circular giving himself a good
reputation at home, which re-
minds me of the fact that he is
the first man to run for office in
McNairy county who has found
it necessary to introduce charac-
ter witnesses, and to employ a
lawyer to represent him in the
campaign.
This fixed up" circular begins
by stating that there had been
much intimated and a lot charg-
ed about the condition of the
school fund, and that HE had
WAITED for me to give some
sort of attention to the matter.
Such apity he has been kept in
suspense so long. AS citizen
and before he became a candi-
date he could have examined ALL
THE BOOKS of my office and
ALL THE BOOKS of the Trus-
tees office and found out exact
ly how the school fund stood.
When he decided to become a
candidate against me he needed
an issue and he started out with
the charge that | had no certifi-
cate. He saw my certificate on
file with Hon. w. H. Stone.
Chairman of the County Court,
and told the Chairman it was a
forgery. When he read the let
ter of the State Superintendent
published in the Independent
that ! held a life certificate that
issue exploded and so he had to
look him another one, and he is
now trying through this circular,
in the 11th hour on the eve of the
election to alarm the people over
the horrible condition of the
school fund. which he has just
now discovered.4
He says / have a part of the
records in my Office, Yes, i have.
and the County Trustee has the
other part. | have in my office a
complete record of every war
rant which | have issued for the
last four years, and the Trustee
has in his Office a complete rec
ord Of every warrant that has
been paid during the time, and
from these two lists any school
boy could tell in three hours how
many warrants were not paid.
He could have found out that all
outstanding and unpaid school
warrants would be paid during
August. That is a fact and
why dodge facts or conceal them?
And every warrant which has
been paid by the Trustee, has
been inspected by the Chairman
of the County Court. This is re-
uuired by law before the Trustee
can get credit for paying them.
Then the County Revenue Com
mittee inspects these warrants
one at a time and reports every
3 months to the County Court.
And so every warrant which ]
have issued within the last four
years has been inspected by the
County Chairman. w. H. Stone,
snd the Revenue Committee. ex-
eent those that ara vet unpaid.