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'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