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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1905)
- - - VOLUME XXVI. _ O’NEILL, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1905 NUMBER 19. TAXSHIRKING NABOBS OWE COUNTY SUM EQUAL TO ONE-THIRD OF ENTIRE INDIVIDUAL TAX OF HOLT COUNTY FOR YEAR 1905 Total taxes of Holt county for 1905, exclusive of railroads ... $47,216.00 Total taxes owed the county by populist leaders at O’Meifl, shown by delinquent tax list publish ed in the I foil County Independent in July, 1905 .• 18 000.00 Do you see why |he gang arc lighting the revenue law? Do you want them to continue in control of the treasiircr’s*§ffiee and evade payment of taxes? 1'W1* Individuals Reduced JO Per Cent; Railroads Raised 72 County Treasurer Cronin and the attorney-at-law and land syndicate trust at O’Neill are busily engaged this week in sending out tax state ments fur 1905 taxes in an effort to deceive and befog tlie minds of some tax payers in this county. Their method is to send statements only to those whose taxes may show an in crease over some previous year. If the personal tax of the tax payer is higher and his land tax is less? then a statement of the personal tax only is sent; and vice versa. In most cases where there is any increase in the personal tax of individuals over last year, an investigation will show that it is due to an increase in the school levy over previous years. The tax records of this county show that in 1903, the last assessment under tlie old revenue law, the taxes in this county for state and county purposes exclusive of railroad tax, was $52,515. A comparison of figures is interesting. Note the following table: Total taxes for 1903exclusive railroads, under old revenue law . Total taxes for 1905 for state and county purposes, exclusive of rail roads.. Decrease in state and county taxes to be paid by individuals .* This demonstrates conclusively that, generally speaking, the stale and county taxes to be paid by individ uals is 10 per cent less in 1005, under tlie new revenue law, than they were in 1903, under the old revenue law. In 1903 the railroads in Holt county were assessed at $277,429; in 1905, under the new law, tlie railroads are assessed at $178,391, an increase in the county on railroads of $200,962, or i2 per cent increase in the assessed valu ation of railroads in tlie county. In the face of these figures, the pop lawyers who are now stumping tlie county have the brazen afl’rontery to tell the people that only the taxes .pf individuals have been increased and that there lias been no increase on the railroads. There is method in their madness, their object being to deceive enough voters by their mis representations to elect a populist board of supervisors and county treas urer, and then upset tlie operations of tlie Scavenger delinquent tax law, return to the old system of tax fore closures whereby tiiey can get title to land for little or nothing, pocket large publication fees and at the same time let their ovui taxes, amounting to several thousands dollars, go unpaid. The tax notices of Mr. Cronin at this time are only a part of this well laid.plan to permit a few lawyers and land sharks in O’Neill to perpetuate tlie most diabolical graft ever worked in any county. Tax payers should not again be deceived by their tricks. *...* : I ask that vv e scorn alike the base • : arrogance of the rich man who : : would look down on his poorer : : brother and the equally base envy : : of the poorer man who would hate : : 11is richer brother: and that you : : apply to every citizen of this re- : : public just this one test, the test : : that gauges his worth as a man. : : Does he do his duty fairly by him- : : self, his family, his neighbor and : : the state and nation? If he does, : : be for him, whether rich or poor, > : because if you do not you are re- : : creant to the spirit of American- : : ism.—Roosevelt. *.* When the long and dreaded roll is called, when the revibrations of a wrecked and ruined world peel forth and humanity stands before Divinity to render account of things here be low, in all solemnity, we would hate to be. a campaign writer for tiie Holt County Independent. One Needed to Keep Wreckers Out of Penitentiary The Independent, acting as the oracle for the attorneys of the bank wreckers, is making a villianous lying campaign against Sheriff Hail in a superhuman effort to accomplish his defeat by any means. Tiie motive back of tiie dirty cam paign is very apparent to close ob servers of the operations of tiie gang, who will stop at nothing to accomplish their purpose. Tiie cards are stacked and they have got to save McGreevy from tiie penitentiary. Of course this can be accomplished much easier with a “friendly injun” in tiie sheriff’s office. They know it will be difficult to tix a jury in that case while Charley Hall is sheriff. To make sure of saving Mc Greevy they have got to have a pliant tool in tiie sheriff’s office, hence tills dastardly fight against Sheriff Hall. To the Editor of The Frontier: i desire to make a statement in regard to an article that was published in last week’s Ilolt County Independent, wherein it is charged that 1 turned Miss Margaret Hurley, candidate for county superintendent on the fusion ticket, out of doors, or refused to keep her and J. P. Mullen, candidate for county treasurer, over night. Now the facts are, that I am not running a hotel, nor am 1 in the habit of keeping people over night. I have a wife and five small children, and keep a hired man, and my wife does her own work. We have oidy one i girl who is six years old, and she has been an invalid for the past year. She was in the hospital in Omaha early last spring for four weeks and back again to Omaha in the summer for treatment, and is likely to be back again in a few days. At the time mentioned in the Independent, our baby one year old, was also sick, and myself ana wife had been up for three nights in succession. In the after noon of the same day mentioned, W. H. Iliscox called at my place to stay over night and I refused to keep him. That evening .7. I’. Mullen called to my door, and asked to stay over night. 1 told him that my wife was not well and that my children were sick, and that I could not very well keep him and ho then asked if there wasanyplaceclo.se by that he could go and stay. I directed him to the nearest neighbor, a distance of about eighty rods, and as he turned to go lie made the remark that he had a lady with him, who was to address the meeting. I told him that I was sorry that we were not prepared to keep them, but thought that they could get to stay at the house that 1 direct ed them to. Two days later, Miss Florence Zink, candidate for county superintendent on the republican ticket, and her father came and asked to stay, but we did not keep them be cause of Die reasons [ have given. The facts are, I think more of my wife and children and their welfare than T do of Miss Hurley, J. 1*. Mul len, Miss Zink, or any other candidate in Holt county. It is further said in this article 1 hat I was later approach ed by a voter of the township that I live in, and that I made the state ment that I peddled stuff about the precinct, about Miss Hurley and J. I*. Mullen, and that if 1 kept them over night, the. people would think it was all guff or words to that effect. This statement is absolutely false and un true, and 1 challenge the editor of the paper to publish the name of the man to whom 1 tngde any such statement Cither fn Steele Creek township or elsewhere. The facts are that the whole article is absolutely untrue. We have about seventy-five voters in Steele Creek township, where I have lived twenty six years, and I am willing to leave it to them in regard to my hospitality. C. L. McELIIANEY. Authentic word comes from Cham bers that a “lady friend” is peddling cards and cigars for the fusion candid ate for superintendent. Such work belongs to the school of depraved pol itics and should never stain the lingers of one aspiring to the sacred trust of public educator. “POOR” People Who Didn't Have to Pay Their Taxes One arguments used by the "Mdlens which tax payers should pay a rntion to is that w idle the Mullens were in possession of the county treasurer’s ollice no “poor man” was compelled to pay his taxes. Mr. Taxpayer, if you have always considered that it was a duty you owe the state and county to pay your taxes promptly and support your schools, how do you like such guff? From an examination of the tax list it seems that the “poor people” who were not compelled to pay their taxes consisted mainly Of the Harring tons, the Mullens, the MeCarthys and their strikers. Examine the delinquent tax list for yourself and see if this is not true. A set of rascals that will lie them selves into ollice can’t be depended upon as honest officials. ^yQy^JEOJjBjjaicJ ^JcL^E[3lD!ln!lQ?j'S!^E^ic3iblEIiDISrB!l3JSEIi3rEf@ElD!J<3fi35!Jcil3JS5^ rSJcUSfSIM^I^ltPiiSJtPj^lMcirSlt^r^I&ISI^f^l^^I^J^ iElOJcirSJiBJQJEfio lc!|(3Ij3]DllciISfi3j^ ^jJSJSEOIi^JSISOJSOIillSfMSISloB^ SEyi^ IHJS^ | The constant and persistent manner in which J. P. Mullen has insisted j | on holding office in this county can best be illustrated by a few mom- | I ent’s reflection and study of the following chronological table of politi- | | cal convention, together with the public records of the county. Fol- 1 1 lowing is the record of seventeen years: t| >• •, 8 | 1888, county supervisor; 1889, county supervisor; 1890, county supervisor | and candidate for representative to legislature, to which he was elected; j 1891, member of legislature and candidate for county treasurer, for which he | iwas defeated; S892, candidate and elected to state senate; 1893, state sen- | ator and candidate for county treasurer, to which he was elected; 1894, | 1895, 1896 and 1897, county treasurer; 1903, candidate for fusion nom- 1 ination for county clerk — defeated for nomination; 1905, candidate for J county treasurer. j i| a From the above it will be seen that during the past 17 years there has J | been but two general elections for county officers—1899 and 1901—but jg | what J. P. Mullen has either been holding office or a candidate for office. | | During this time he has drawn in salary over $10,100. Should Mr. Sj 1 Mullen be elected at the coming election and be a candidate to succeed 1 p himself, w hich of course he would be, it will make but two general g g elections for county officers out of 21 consecutive years that Mullen has | | not either held office in Holt county or been a candidate for one. It is jg | apparent to anyone that Mr. Mullen has the worst case of office itch | | that has ever beset anyone in this part of the state. ig | There are many honest populists in Holt county who have asked for the | | nominations that have been sought, demanded and given to Mullen and the I I aspirations of these worthy men ruthlessly set aside by Mullen and his attorn- | | ey-at-law and land syndicate strikers in O’Meill. To be candid, Mr. Voter, 1 | don’t you think it an opportune time to give Mullen the political rest he so g 1 richly deserves, and give someone else a show? i 13 | a^3jaia)aisEnni^aiaMaiafoM^jajaaEHai*K®jffl®iaiMaBSHaiiMisio3®i3BE®aia!aia’Msisisi3jaj5isia®siaiaiaiaisMS]aiaiaiajaiaiaJ5iaiaiaiaiij!iBJSHi3jaEJ3i§is!eJSMaMEEiaj5Maafis SHORT Officials Been Proven Thieves Notwithstanding Denial The Independent is using consider able space denying that County Treas urer Cronin is short in his accounts, and is making the usual bluff about “courting an investigation.” It is certain that if Mr. Chittick and a republican board of supervisors are elected, their bluff will be called. It will be remembered that four years ago, when The Frontier charged that Sheriff Stewart’s accounts were irregular, the Independent insisted that we were lying. After election an investigation was made, showing Stewart to be a defaulter and he went out of office owing the county several hundred dollars, part of which was recovered by action of the county board. Last January, when The Frontier charged Pat Handley with being short in his accounts as township treasurer, the Independent again said we were lying and “an investigation would show that the charges were thin air.” The fusion strategy board did all in its power to head off an investigation and had one of their members “ex pert” Handley's books and pronounce his accounts straight. An investigation, however, by a competent and disinterested expert showed Handley to be short $5,500, and lie is now a fugative from justice, his whereabouts unknown except to the pop gang that helped Hagerty and McGreevy in their get away. The Graphic: Treasurer Cronin, through the Independent, says that the books in his office are open to in spection. This may be true, but when the office will sell land and issue a tax certificate and the owner has a receipt from the treasurer for the taxes paidi and also gives a receipt for personaj taxes and afterwards gets a distress warrant for the payment of these same taxes and refuses to give credit until flic receipt is produced, would indicate that if the office force cannot tell anything about the books from inspection, how can they expect an outsider to do so? While the use of passes by office holders and candidates for public of fice is being discussed it is well to re member that Judge Hastings, the fu sion candidate for supreme judge, is an old and confirmed user of the little pasteboards. In his speech of accept ance before the democratic state con vention Judge Hastings stated that for many years he had been a paid at torney of the railroads and had used passes. Wlule promising to accept no more annuals from the roads Mr. Hastings neglected to state that he would return his present ones. __ % And so the pop nabobs are offended becauae a man with a sick family on his hands would not turn his home into a hotel to accomodate the Idol and “the lady from O’Neill.” Miss Zmk, too, was turned down at this same place and couldn’t even get a meal, but she is too practical and sensible a woman to whimper like a school kid about it. _Yote ’er straight!