Newspaper Page Text
'eighth year
smoke xtra good and rebel yell cigars
COMPTROLLER WRIGHT
Makes Reply to the Assaults Made
on Him From Rome.
fins no hand in ml fight
But Makes a Clean* Clear Cut Statement of
His Dealings With The Tax Collector’s
Office in This County.
Yesterday’s Constitution con
tained the following interview
w ith Comptroller General
Wright relating to the transac
tions he has had with the Floyd
county tax collector s office.
The Hustler-Commercial pub
lishes it in full because the “re-I
form” organ has seen tit to crit
icize it, and this paper deems it
only fair to let the tax payers
read for themselves the state
ment of the comptroller who is
himself a candidate for re-elec
tion.
The Constitution says :
There is a bitter campaign on
in Floyd county over county
offices. The Tribune is attacking
the sheriff and what it calls the I
“ringsSeaborn Wright, the
nominee of the populist party
for governor in the last state
campaign, is taking a hand, and
Comptroller General W. A.
Wright is being made an issue
in the local contest.
Seaborn Wright, The Tribune
and \. T Sail ford, the tax col-1
lector of Floyd, are charging .
that the comptroller general of
the state is taking sides against
Sanford.
Capt. W. A. Wright says that
he has no personal interest in
the local campaign one way or
the other, and has not persecuted
the tax collector or treated him
differently from any other col
lector in the same position.
Ihe correspondence on file in
the comptroller general’s office
gives a complete history of the
cate and shows that while the
ilojd county tax collector is
straight in his accounts, there is
n 1 ground for criticism against
‘he comptroller general.
•'■ome time during the spring
the tax collector wrote that he
had deposited a certain sum of
money collected from tav es in
the state depository at ttbme.
if aw lequires the tax col
ctois, when they make such
7° Blts - to take a receipt and a
« u P>cate from the bank and
eild the duplicate to the state
suiei, who thereupon reports
the comptroller general. Mr.
did not send the dupli-
> reC(d Pt to the state treasurer
' PO'haps a mouth later, after
letters had o Mn
M, l '"" 10 the
id,,, “t, 1 10","' 0 "," 88 iBBUed ,
the st t lie lrst time to
' a e treasurer, it is said,
terday n 1 ;? 86 ° Hkhll
ge ■ the tax collector had
*Btlm , k" tl,edUpliC!Ue recei P t
th reqU,red Whe “ he de *
"WUI K “" < ’ y tliere W " u| J
<u> evemion.
THE HOME HUSTLER-COMMERCIAL
But until he complied with the
law, the state did not know
whether the money had beeu
deposited or not.
“When Mr. Sanford first took
charge of the office the comptroll
er general advised him to let the
old collector collect the taxes for
1 "96 and make the settlement.
This is the practice in every me of
the 137 counties and has been for
at least twenty-five years It is
said to be more satisfactory than
for the new niun to do the work.
But ihere bad been complication
over a previ. us collecor’s admin- j
istralion ai d Mr, Sanford said he I
knew hi? r’ghts and his business, j
and be wou.d Collect the unpaid
taxes. He sent a lawyer down to j
see the comptroller general, who
explained 'he situation. The at
ton ttf advised Mr. Sanford to fol
low the precedent of years, but
the latter would not do it.
“Soon after that there was
trouble over the collector’s bond.
Not receiving it within the speci
fied time, the comptroller genera'
notified the governor, as required
by law. Sanford complained be
cause the notice was not given to
him direct by the the comptroller
general. The latter quo'ed the
law which directs to notify the
governcr. Then Sanford made a
bond with one of the surety com
panies, but it was discovered in the
vove-rnors office that the com
pany had not made the proper de
posit in Georgia.- Another bond
was called for and a new- one was
made. That was mislaid before
It reached the comptroller general
and he notified the governor.
“All the way through these
things have been occurring. The
comptroller general has simply
complied with the law. He has
made no fight against Sanford.
All the comptroller general was
after was to have the collector do
as the law directs. The instructions
ureal 1 printed nnd furnished to
every tax collector in the state. If
one of them wants to run the
s ate’s business his own way, he
will have to get the legislature to
change the law. ’’
Captain Wright says that he
has no interest m the local con
test, lie does n>t even know the
tax collector’s opponent and the
only time he ever heard of him, so
far as he recollects, prior to this
campaign was when he was asked
co indorse the gentleman for the
Ri me postoffice, and declined be
cause it was a local matter.
La-t week two citizen? of R >m"
asked the comptroller general for
certified copies or the correspon
dence between his office and the
'ax collector. They did not say
what they wanted with it and they
were not asked, but a day or two
la*er it appeared in The Rome
Argus.
“All our official records and let
ters are open to the public, 1 said
Captain Wight yesterday. ‘‘When
taxpayers come here lor informa
tion, it is none of our business
what they want with it, and if
I they do not say, we do not ask.
ROME GEORGIA, ‘WEDNESDAY EVENING. MAY 25. 1898.
WAR THEORIES.
Namj Guesses Made as to
The Fleet
DF SPANISH VESSELS
' Some Rumors Given for What
They are Worth.
Key West, May 25.—Every
preparation has been made by
the United Slates naval authori
j ties for destroying the Spanish
! fleet, which is known to be off’
the island of Buba.
All signs point to a decisive
battle some day this week.
The hospital ship Solace and
I her surgeons were ordered long
ago to be ready for service at a
moment’s notice, but no fresh
I orders have been issued.
NOT THERE, SAYS REPORT.
Port Au Prince, Hayti, May
24.—According to current ru
mors here the Spanish Cape
Verde Squadron,commanded by
Admiral Cervera, widen arrived
at Santiago de Cuba, subsequent
ly sailed from that port, destina
tion unknown.
BLANCO ON THE SITUATION.
Madrid, May 25.—A dispatch
received from Havana says: Se
cret orders have been given to
Admiral Cervera as to what
course to pursue in the event of
the Americans attempting to cut
communications between Cuba
and Spaia.
Americans continue to occu
py stations outside of Havana,
Cienfuegos, Cardenas and Santi
ago De Cuba. There are now
nineteen American warships be
fore Havana.
It is reported that the Span
ish government has purchased
another vessel to be used as an
armed cruiser.
PLANS CHANGED
London, May 25. —A dispatch
from Madrid today, says: Evi
dently the program in regard to
the Philippine Islands has been
changed. I: is believed here
that there will be no immediate
engagement in Cuban waters
but that Admiral Cervera will
draw off the enemy while the
Cadi'/ fleet relieves Havana.
CONSUL brick’s OPINION.
Des Moines, lowa. May 25.
United States consul at Mantan
zas, Brice, of Bedford, Ta., was
at camp McKinley today.. In an
interview, he said : “I wish to
assure the volunteers in the dif
ferent states that there is little
danger of thh United States sol
diers falli ig victims to disease
in Cuba, 1 sp<ak from experi
ence hi the province of Mantan
zas, where there has been the
greatest suffering among recon
centrados. The physical ills of
the Cubans and Spaniards in the
armies result from deplorable
sanitary conditions. Field oper
ations ara perfectly practicable
during the r tiny season, if there
lisa proper observance of the
ordinary rules of health. Ihe
volunteers need not hesitate to
enlist, for with reasonable pre
i cautions, there is but little dai»-
jg er -”
Paper Patterns
only 5c each
AT' Fl 2E
LANHAM&SONS-
* •
We have discontinued and are closing . TH H
out all ai only 5c each. *ln their place we
have put the justly famous
‘ MMK ,
M'call Bazaar Patterns.
.i hey are LKg best fitting and most highly artistic
onl\Hn?fo the .P r,ce as ’ n everything else, is way down bein«*
only lOc for a great m any and none high ar than 15c. ’ ~ °
Fashion Plates Free to Each and Every Caller.
** **A*>***** ***** * * * <«******»**> *** **
WLkWEIW. j
Our millinery department is the mist complete and uptidlie ofanv
in Rome and our prices are the lowest. “uoui.e or any
. ew ha ‘ s P r ' ces that cannot ba met b/others. New sailor
for m jney than at any ottiar millinery store. J
EMBROIDERIES >
AND LACES,
pleased . r ' CeS Com 3 sae ‘hem and you will ba
NKW LAWNS.
NEW ORGAWDIBS
Pretty and Real Cheap. 1
PPPttll Shere lnd ’ a Linen ’ onl y 3 1 ~ 2 centsper yard, J . J
I I Vuby India Linen. bett?r quality, 5 cents par yard.
Beautiful india linans for less money than at any other store
WHITE & COLORED DUCK .
PIIJUE aud LINEN CRASH I
an 1 lots of Summer goads real cheap.
NKW PERCALES |
just received and selling ch-ao, Come to see us and you will be
LANHAM'S
1U CENTS PER WEEK